Disillusions of Love and Longing
by RhysMerilot
Summary: Teen SQ AU: Everyone has their own idea of love, the longing for it all too real. Senior year wasn't supposed to be so hard and finding love, Regina learns isn't as easy as she'd thought it'd be…
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: I felt the need for something different, so I twisted the characters to my own liking and this is what has come to be. I just...let's have some angsty fun for a while yeah? Note that the chapters will be notably shorter than Miles To Go, for reasons...hope you enjoy the first chapter and are in on the ride I have planned out :)**

* * *

It was a clear, warm day in the beginning of September and the warning bell rang loud and clear through the air, signalling the start of the day and their senior year. Eighteen year old Regina Mills peered over the top of her dark sunglasses, a small smile curling over her lips as she saw Emma Swan dashing from the parking lot to the front doors of Storybrooke High School, a blur of blonde hair, skinny jeans and red leather.

"Hey," Regina said easily just as Emma ran past her. Emma turned to look at her and came to a skidded halt, nearly tripping over her own feet. "It's only the warning bell. You're not late."

"Oh, shit, I thought I was late. I overslept and I couldn't get the Bug started and—"

"Relax," Regina said gently in an attempt to calm her frazzled friend. "It's senior year, Emma, and the first day. Even if you were late, you'd miss what, attendance and announcements."

"Mary Margaret has been on my ass about keeping up my grades. She thinks it's not too late to get into a good college," Emma sighed and shrugged off her jacket, the warm sun starving off the slight chill in the air. "She still supports my decision to take a year off, but that hasn't stopped her from her constant nagging about college."

"Your mother only wants what is best for you," Regina chuckled, the two of them not moving from the front steps. "Ruby and Kathryn aren't here yet," she mused when Emma didn't respond, instead she sat down on the top step, elbows on her knees as she scrolled through her phone absentmindedly.

"Oh, Rubes text me while I was driving here," Emma said after a moment. "They're already inside, said they got here early. They caught a ride with Frederick this morning."

"Shall we then?"

Emma winced as the second bell went off and rose to her feet. "Guess we have no choice now."

Regina watched Emma as she bounced towards the doors quickly, pulling it open and motioning her inside with a flourish. They both laughed as they walked into the main hall and past the auditorium. Following Emma's lead, they cut through the freshman hallway, dodging out of the way of the young, frazzled teenagers scrambling to get to their first class.

"You remember our first day?" Emma asked, chuckling as a pimply-faced boy ran into Regina, his face red as he sputtered an incoherent apology and ran off. "I can't believe we made it."

"That we have," she chuckled and they turned the corner and spotted Ruby and Kathryn waiting by their lockers. She chuckled again as Kathryn squealed and waved at them. "I'm willing to bet the first thing out of her mouth is going to be a suggestion that we skip the first day."

"I'm not going to say no," Emma smirked and they came to a stop in front of their friends. "Hey."

"Em!" Ruby laughed, flinging her arms around her. "God, I have missed you!"

"You should've come around when you got in yesterday."

"It was late," Ruby shrugged. "Besides, Granny made me unpack."

"How was your summer in Colorado?" Regina asked and with a simple roll of Ruby's eyes, she had her answer. "How is your mother?"

"Sober, at least," Ruby replied and she leaned up against Emma's locker, crossing her arms over her chest with a sigh. "What about you guys? How was your summer?"

Emma started to tell her about the summer and Regina just smiled to herself as she twisted the combination on her locker and opened it. She and Emma had spent the entire summer together, inseparable as they always had been since the first grade. Between spending the warmer days at the beach, random road trips into Boston now that they both had cars, there had been long nights spent laying under the stars and talking about everything and nothing at all in particular.

While they had spent some time with Kathryn when she wasn't with Frederick, it had mostly just been the two of them and it had been one of the best summers of Regina's life. Her mother, while strict, had loosened up a little more and allowing her more freedom than she knew what to do with it. She had barely spent any time at home, save for the nights she didn't spend at the loft with Emma and her parents.

Emma continued on, telling Ruby of their road trips to Boston and how they had gotten so lost the first time that they ended up in some small town in Vermont. Regina smiled at the memory and how they spent the night in Emma's yellow Bug at the side of the road, with a dead battery and zero cell phone service. A single slip of folded paper on the bottom of her locker stole her attention and she picked it up and unfolded it.

What she found was a note, more specifically a letter that had been typed up. She scanned over the page to the bottom, not finding a name or any indication on who had written the note and placed it in her locker for her to find that morning.

"What is that?" Kathryn asked, peering over her shoulder.

"Uh, a letter I suppose," Regina shrugged as she turned around to face her friends, Emma and Ruby suddenly quiet. "I'm not sure who it is from."

"Oh, maybe you have a secret admirer!" Kathryn swooned and Ruby chuckled as she shook her head. Emma, strangely, was quiet, her soft green eyes almost blue in the florescent lights, and she stared at Regina long and hard for a moment before turning to unlock her own locker. "What does it say, Regina?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "If you would give me a moment to read it, I'll let you know."

"I wonder who sent it?" Kathryn mused. "Who is single right now?"

"Don't look at me, I've been in Colorado for the last nine weeks!" Ruby chuckled. "Maybe it's Killian?"

"Oh gag me," Kathryn groaned. "Besides, Killian has a hard on for Emma, we all know that."

"Don't remind me," Emma muttered under her breath. "I'd do anything to take back going out on that date with him last year! He won't leave me alone."

While the three chattered on, Regina focused on the letter she held in her hand. It wasn't long by any means, the paper itself much smaller than the standard size as well. She inhaled sharply and started to read over the letter, finding almost immediately that it was a confession.

_Regina,_

_For as long as I've known you, I've always known you were someone special and so very unique. You are out of almost everyone's league in Storybrooke, but I hope maybe you aren't out of mine, that maybe I can be good enough for you._

_I have been nervous about telling you, finding it easier to write the words rather than to say it…_

_I am in love with you._

Regina's breath hitched in her chest and she was all too aware of the three sets of eyes that were on her, watching her read over the letter, the confession of love from someone who remained nothing more than a mystery.

_I love the way you smile when you're happy, I love the way your smile, your laugh reaches your beautiful eyes. I love the way that you can, with just one look, render someone speechless or instil a bit of fear in them in an endearing way. I love the way you would do anything for your friends just to keep them happy. Most of all, I love the way you look at me, but I don't think you even know what one look from you feels like for me._

_We're friends, Regina, and that's why I am nervous about telling you how I feel about you because I don't want to ruin our friendship in any way. I'll admit that I'm too shy as well to tell you any of this face to face. I keep thinking you'd laugh if you knew it was me, but now that you know, I'm hoping it'll be easier for me to tell you again with actual words._

_I'll be waiting by the field next to the bleachers by the track just before last period today. If you come to meet me there, I hope you don't freak out when you find out who I am. I don't want to put any pressure on you because I'm not sure you feel the same way as I do, but if you do I'd like to see if maybe there is something more between us._

_You'll know it's me because I want you to ask me just that and I'll say yes and tell you that I never had the courage to tell you until now._

_If you don't show up (and I know you well enough to know that you will want to) I won't bother you again, I won't even confess to you how I feel either. Just know that I fell in love with you because you are you and not because you just happen to be, to me, the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on._

_Until later…_

Regina's heart was racing and she clutched the letter to her chest, giving herself a moment to catch her breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She shook her head and turned, folding the note back up and placed it in her bag as she hung it up on the hook.

"Well?" Kathryn said with an urgency to her voice. "What did it say?"

"I—" Regina stopped herself, suddenly not wanting to share what had been written to her. She shook her head and grabbed a few text books she'd placed in her locker the week before on prep day. "It's nothing, really. Just a silly note from some guy, I suppose."

"Please tell me it's not Killian," Ruby laughed as Regina shut her locker forcefully. "It looked far too long for one of his "I want to take you out on my boat and fuck you" notes."

"You got one of those too?" Emma asked, a bit of a bite to her tone. "I swear to god, someone needs to put that asshole in his place. He just can't go around writing those notes and handing them off to every single girl in our grade!"

"It's not Killian," Regina said. "It could be Graham."

"Graham Humbert?" Emma asked, her right eyebrow rising slightly in question. "Why would you think that he wrote that letter to you?"

"I still want to know what he wrote," Kathryn chuckled. "Come on, Regina. We're all friends. You can tell us what he wrote to you."

"Well, I want to know why she thinks its Graham," Emma countered.

"Well, in the letter it states that we're already friends and as far as I know, Graham is the only one who doesn't have a girlfriend," Regina replied and she shook her head and glanced at the dainty watch on her left wrist, a gift for her sixteenth birthday from her father. "And as much as I would love to discuss this with you girls, we're late enough as it is for class."

"I have a spare," Kathryn said easily.

"And you came early?" Emma laughed at her and she pulled out a crumpled paper with her schedule on it. "I have History."

"Didn't you get that credit last semester, Em?" Ruby asked her and she nodded her head. "Then why are you taking it again?"

"I like history," Emma shrugged nonchalantly. "What about you?"

"Phys. Ed," Ruby groaned. "Regina?"

"Calculus."

"Do we even have _any_ classes together this year?" Ruby groaned loudly and she let out a startled gasp when they saw the principal, Mr. Gold, headed their way, an unamused look on his face. "We'll talk later! I'll see you girls at lunch!"

The four of them went their separate ways, just managing to slip away from what Regina knew would be a scolding from the principal followed by detention. Still, as she quietly walked into class, unnoticed by the teacher who was tiredly sipping from a coffee mug while the rest of the class copied down the notes from the board, she couldn't seem to stop smiling as she thought about what had been written in the letter.

Someone was in love with her, someone wanted to be with her. Someone had gone out of their way to write her a love letter to profess their feelings for her. It overwhelmed her because she had never expected her day to start out that way, with an anonymous confession of love.

Taking a seat at the back of the class, she opened her notebook and pulled out a pen, but her thoughts weren't focused on taking down the notes from the board that outlined the class for the semester and the various tests they'd be taking over the next four months. Her thoughts were settled deep on the words she'd read and the fact that in less than five hours she would find out just who exactly had written her that letter.

Regina wasn't sure how she felt about it maybe being Graham Humbert. He was a nice, respectful guy, one her mother would even approve of if they started dating. She'd always enjoyed having him around when the boys would hang out with her, Emma, Ruby, and Kathryn. He was laid back and had a great sense of humour, not at all the type of guy she'd think would be too shy or too nervous to tell a girl he liked her, nor did he strike her as the type who would write a letter and leave it in her locker on the first day of school.

After two periods, the bell rang and Regina hurried out of the IT room and towards the cafeteria to join her friends for lunch. She looked around and spotted only Emma already seated at their usual table, Ruby and Kathryn absolutely nowhere to be seen. Before she joined the line to get something to eat, Emma waved her over with a smile and pointed to the tray that was on the table in front of her.

"Hey," Emma said as Regina sat down on the other side of the table across from her. "I got our usual. I had a spare last period and I came down early."

"I have a spare on Thursday's just before lunch," Regina sighed. "How was your morning?"

"All right, I guess," Emma shrugged and she slid the tray a little more towards the middle of the table so Regina could reach for a few of the french fries. "Ruby text about an hour ago, trying to convince me to skip with her and Kathryn."

"They're skipping?" Regina asked and rolled her eyes, not finding it surprising in the least. Out of all of them, Ruby was the worst influence and it was always Kathryn that gave in to her. "Let me guess, they're at the Toll Bridge."

"Likely drinking too," Emma said with a subtle nod. "They aren't the only ones. Half the senior class isn't here today. I have English every day right after lunch," Emma groaned and it only served to make Regina smile. "What?"

"As do I," she chuckled softly. "At least we have one class together."

"That makes this semester more bearable," Emma smirked. "So, are you going to tell me what that letter said or do I have to break into your locker and read it for myself?"

Regina playfully rolled her eyes, knowing Emma well enough to know that she couldn't hold back any longer. Emma was her best friend and she was far closer with her than she was with Kathryn and Ruby. After she ate a few more french fries, she leaned forward a little and grinned.

"Someone is in love with me," she said just over the din in the cafeteria. "Someone is in love with me, Emma. Can you believe that?"

Emma just smiled at her, her attention stolen away by her phone as it vibrated on the table next to where her elbow rested. She picked it up and laughed a moment later. She chuckled and turned the screen to show Regina the picture that she pulled up, a clear picture of Storybrooke's own Sheriff as he held a megaphone up to his face and was clearly shouting at them to disband immediately or be arrested, a situation Regina had experienced first hand during the one time she allowed Emma to drag her to one of the parties there over the summer.

"They got busted."

"Of course they did," Regina laughed. "Your father patrols that area on a regular basis now." Upon Emma's incredulous look at the mention of her father, Regina rolled her eyes before correcting her previous statement, "David. Honestly, Emma, I don't know why you keep calling them by their names. They are your parents."

"You know why."

"I know," she sighed and shook her head. "Despite those first few years of your life without them in it, Emma, they're still your parents."

"Whatever. They gave me up."

"You know that's not what happened," Regina said with a frown. "They were young, barely fifteen and they had you. You know that you were taken from them because they could not provide for you properly. They wanted to give you your best chance. That's why they let the state take you away without fighting for you."

"Yeah, the chance at knowing what it's like to be given up on. Twice."

"They got you back," Regina interjected, having had this very conversation with Emma far too many times to count.

"Yeah, when I was five and had spent two years in a group home because the family that adopted me had a kid of their own."

"And yet you insist on everyone call you by _their_ name and not the one you were given."

"What's wrong with Swan?" Emma asked, her bottom lip jutting out into a pout.

"Nothing," Regina chuckled. "You know, I don't get you sometimes, _Swan_, but you're still my very best friend and nothing is ever going to change that. Not even when you're completely, infuriatingly stubborn when it comes to your parents."

"Nothing will change it, huh? Not even when you find out who wrote that letter?"

"Not even then," Regina smiled brightly at her. "I promise."

* * *

Regina fidgeted nervously, standing by the bleachers, the sun warm in the mid-afternoon sky. She continuously looked around, looking to see if anyone was headed her way, but there was not a soul to be seen when the warning bell sounded. She shook her head, wondering if she should wait until the final bell before giving up and she glanced at her watch, lightly running her fingers over the gold band. She wasn't planning on skipping last period despite her dislike for gym class, but it wasn't as if she'd miss anything too important if she decided not to go at all.

Willing to give herself at least five minutes for whoever wrote the letter to show up, she tapped the toe of her shoe against the gravel path, frowning as she crossed and uncrossed her arms and checked her watch once more.

The anticipation was driving her crazy and her head started to swarm with a hundred different thoughts, making her head spin slightly. What if whoever had written the letter suddenly had second thoughts about facing her, the Mayor's daughter, and decided not to show up after all? Was she being stood up or set up? That led to her thinking that maybe the letter could have been the product of some sick joke and that any minute now, whoever had written it would show up and laugh at her, teasing her for believing that someone would with to be with her.

It was no secret that she had never had a steady boyfriend and that the few guys she had dated, she hadn't been with them for very long. Regina knew that almost every guy her age in town were intimidated, not because her father was the town's Mayor, but because she knew she wasn't as approachable as other girls were. She kept to herself, to her closest friends and that was it, never allowing anyone inside her little circle.

She checked her watch again just as the final bell rang and she frowned, still not seeing anyone coming anywhere close to the field, the few people walking from the portables to the side entrance clearly freshmen. Just as the feeling of rejection started to settle in, the sunlight caught on the glass in the door closer to the field and out walked none other than Graham Humbert.

He was smiling as he jogged down the handful of steps down to the field and he casually slid his hands into the front pockets of his faded blue jeans. "Hey, Regina."

"Hey," she smiled, almost shyly when she remembered what had been written about her smile itself. "Was it you? It was you, wasn't it?" Regina asked quickly, her nerves putting her on edge. "I had no idea that you felt that way about me, that you…liked me…"

"Yeah," Graham nodded, his smile never fading, yet he blushed and scratched over his scruffy cheek. "I do like you, Regina. A lot. I just never had the courage to tell you."

Regina felt her face flush, subtly taking a step towards him. She licked over her lips, watching as his blue eyes glanced down at them and they both shared a smile before he kissed her softly.

And in that very moment, they both failed to notice Emma Swan stop mid-step on the stairs before turning around and running away with tears burning in her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina left school at the end of the day with the same smile planted firmly in place, her cheeks almost burning because she couldn't seem to stop smiling. While Graham wasn't necessarily a guy she would've thought about dating before, she was more than willing to give him a chance, especially if he felt the way he claimed to in the letter he'd written to her.

She halted halfway through the parking lot when she saw him leaning up against her car, her father's old Mercedes handed down to her when she got her license, and he was smiling, his arms crossed casually over his chest and she continued walking through the parking lot, her own smile mirroring his own.

"Hi," she said softly and she was caught by surprise as he leaned in for a rather chaste kiss.

"I was waiting to catch you because I had a question I wanted to ask you that I didn't get a chance to earlier. Not when you ran off so quickly after I kissed you."

"Oh?"

"Will you go out with me on Friday night?" Graham asked, cutting straight to the chase. "I'd really like to see where this will go between us and I'd really like to take you out for dinner."

"Sure, I'd like that."

"Perfect," he grinned and he easily placed his hands on her hips and gently pulled her in closer to him. He parted his legs and leaned back against her car, one hand reaching up to gently cup her cheek as he leaned in to kiss her again. "I'll call you later?"

"Sure," Regina smiled and stepped back when she heard the unmistakable sound of Kathryn and Ruby giggling as they approached from behind her. "Bye, Graham."

He winked before walking away to where his truck was parked in the next row and Regina exhaled sharply, her hands shaking as she dug into her bag for her keys. She dropped them when Kathryn let out a happy squeal and she groaned, turning around to face her friends.

"Oh my god, you were totally kissing him!" Kathryn laughed and Ruby rolled her eyes at Kathryn's excitement. "So, it was Graham after all, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Regina smiled shyly. "We're going out on Friday night."

"I had no idea he liked you," Ruby said and she leaned up against the car that was parked next to Regina's and dropped her bag to the ground. "Did you two hang out more this summer or something?"

"No, we didn't actually."

For the first time she realized that Emma wasn't with them and the fact that Emma's beloved yellow Bug was no longer parked in the spot beside hers. Furrowing her brow, she turned her attention back to the question Ruby had asked her. She had hardly seen Graham around all summer and when she had, he'd been rather neutral and friendly with her, nothing more than he'd always been in the past. It gave her pause for thought and many different thoughts went through her mind in that moment, most of which she dismissed easily as nothing more than skepticism coming in to play.

Her thoughts turned quickly, wondering why Emma had left before they did. They usually always met up in the parking lot after school, usually hanging out for almost an hour before they all went their separate ways. She pulled her phone out from her bag, checking to see if maybe she hadn't heard the text alert go off, but there was nothing aside from two teasing texts from Ruby, both sent just a handful of minutes ago before Graham had walked away. Rolling her eyes, she tossed her phone back into her bag and bent down to pick up her keys.

"Really, Ruby?" Regina asked, unlocking the driver's door.

"Really, Regina," Ruby countered, chuckling throatily. "I couldn't help it! We could see you two practically making out as soon as we walked out the front door!"

"We weren't making out," she said defensively, frowning at the way Ruby just wiggled her eyebrows and puckered her lips. "I thought you two were skipping classes today?"

"After Em's dad busted us, he made us come back to school. Threatened to make us do some community service if we didn't," Ruby replied with a groan. "She really needs to talk to him."

"And what?" Kathryn asked. "Tell him to lay off of us because we're seniors now?"

"Exactly!"

Frederick chose that moment to pull up in his Mustang, coming to a sudden stop and he leaned out the window. "Hey. Are you two coming or what?" He asked as he peered over the edge of his aviators.

"Yeah, we are," Kathryn smiled at her long-time boyfriend. "Call me later, Regina?"

"Of course."

After they said their goodbyes and Frederick drove off, tires squealing on the pavement as he made the turn out of the parking lot, Regina slipped into her car and pulled out her phone. She sent Emma a text and waited for nearly ten minutes, finding it rather unusual for Emma to have not answered back within the first few minutes. After fifteen minutes had passed, she called her instead, concern filling her because it was so unlike Emma to not answer her.

"Hi, you've reached Emma Swan…"

Sighing as the voicemail message came to an end, she hung up before the beep and frowned. With a shake of her head, she tossed her phone on the seat next to her and headed home. She convinced herself in the short drive to 108 Mifflin Street that it was very possible that Emma had likely lost her phone in the mess that was in her car and it wouldn't have been the first time it had happened either. She ignored that nagging thought that there was the possibility that Emma was purposely ignoring her and likely everyone else for whatever reason.

Surely, she reasoned, she'd hear back from Emma in the next few hours and with that, she spun her thoughts back around to Graham, the smile returning with ease. She grabbed her bag and slipped out of the car and headed into the house. With a sigh, she dropped her keys into the dish on the small table by the front door and climbed the four steps into the foyer.

"Regina, is that you?"

"Yes, Mother," she called out, sighing again as she dropped her bag near the foot of the stairs just as her mother emerged from the study.

"Did you have a good day, dear?"

"It was…okay," Regina replied with a coy smile she failed to hide. "My classes are decent this semester. You'll be happy with the teachers that I have as well."

"And you feel confident that you'll breeze past your courses and maintain you grade point average, dear?"

"Of course, Mother," Regina replied, forcing a smile. As much as she wanted to please her mother and keep her GPA up, almost at the highest of her class, she wanted to enjoy her last year in high school at the same time. "I actually have some homework I need to get started on. What time is dinner?"

"It should be ready just after six. I will call up for you when it's ready, dear."

Regina smiled with a nod, grabbing her bag and quickly ascending up the winding staircase. She breezed into her bedroom and tossed her bag onto her bed, kicking off her Prada shoes and sighing in relief, her aching feet grateful to be flat on the floor once again.

Her appearance had always been something she had been forced to keep up with, her father being the Mayor of Storybrooke for as long as she could remember. Always dressed in the best, never following the trends, always setting herself apart, and as she'd grown older she had taken some control of that, changing her style to suit herself and please her mother at the same time. She walked to her dresser, removing her earrings, necklace and the few rings she wore daily, pausing as she placed the last ring into the jewelry box when her eyes landed on a polaroid of her and Emma taken halfway through the summer.

She pulled it off the frame of her vanity mirror, smiling at the picture. They were so very opposite in a lot of ways, but none of it had ever mattered. They shared a special bond with one another right from the first time they ever met and since that very moment, they had always been inseparable. Regina couldn't even count on one hand the number of days in a row they'd gone without seeing or talking to each other.

She traced her fingers over the edge of the picture, smiling at the way Emma laughed while Kathryn had taken the picture just before sunset after a day of laying in the sun on the beach. Emma wore nothing more than a pair of cut off shorts over her white bikini and a loose fitting white tank top, her feet bare and buried in the sand while she herself had thrown on a white sundress, one that swept right down to her feet, but had been form fitting and light. They had an arm around each other and Regina noticed for the first time the way she leaned in to her, the way she had looked at her just out of the corner of her eye.

She noticed for the first time the way Emma looked at her while she laughed, both lost in a moment together. It brought on a host of thoughts she had tried so very hard to push out of her mind, to tell herself that the things she had felt when she thought about Emma sometimes were just a passing, fleeting thought and that it wasn't real, that she didn't really feel that way.

Regina placed the picture back in it's place, her fingers lingering before she pulled back her hand with a sharp shake of her head. The wall by her vanity had a large collage of pictures from throughout the years, more than half of them just of her and Emma alone together. Regina sighed, her hands slightly trembling as she allowed herself to look over the collage of pictures. All the memories, all the laughs and smiles and everything in between were captured and taped to her wall for her to see and remember every day, only she didn't let herself.

She didn't, because underneath the denial she readily chose over acceptance, it was far too easy to fool herself into believing that she had _not_ fallen in love with her best friend.

She had struggled for months on an end not to feel the way she did about Emma Swan. She had struggled to hold on to the denial of how she felt, of the things that she thought of, things she should never think of when it came to someone who had been her friend for a very long time. She had struggled for months with the confusion, the pull inside of her that made her second-guess everything that she thought she knew about herself.

Denial, in the end, was a far easier game to play and one she could handle for the time being.

Denial had led her to taking that letter and running with it without a second thought. It wasn't just about the fact that someone wanted to be with her when that rarely ever happened. It wasn't just about the fact that someone had fallen in love with her and had chosen that particular day to confess it to her. It was about the fact that it gave her reason to embrace her denial when it came to her feelings towards Emma and it gave her reason to find a way to move on from them all at the same time.

Regina ran her fingers through her hair before turning on her heels and walking over to her bed. She pulled out her phone, frowning in disappointment to find only a text from Kathryn and absolutely nothing from Emma. She quickly typed up a text and sent it to her, tossing her phone on to her bed as she pulled out her textbooks, not wanting to focus on her homework, but still determined to continue to please her mother in hopes that the freedom she'd been granted over the summer would continue to carry on throughout her entire senior year.

Throughout the hour she spent distractedly attempting to complete her calculus homework—a subject she loathed with every fibre of her being—she had checked her phone no more than what felt like a hundred times. Every text that had come through had been from Kathryn or Ruby and still not one single one from Emma.

She called her once more, not surprised to get her voicemail right away. After leaving a passive message asking for her to call her, her mother called her down for dinner. She left her phone on her bed by her textbook, frowning as she debated whether to leave it or take it down with her despite the obvious rule her mother had when it came to cell phones at the dinner table. In the end, she left it and joined her parents in the dining room for a relatively quiet dinner.

Upon her return to her bedroom, she found her phone ringing and she snatched it up, frowning a little when she saw it was only Kathryn. She walked back over to her open door, closing it before she answered the call.

"Hello, Kathryn."

"Wow, you sound oh so positively thrilled that I called you," Kathryn chuckled sarcastically.

"I had hoped maybe it was Emma calling. I still haven't heard from her. I'm a bit concerned."

"I'm sure it's nothing and that you're worrying for no reason. It wouldn't be the first time she's lost or misplaced her phone," Kathryn replied. "Now, tell me everything. I want to know what Graham wrote!"

"Kathryn…"

"Oh, come on, Regina. He had to have written something pretty amazing if you ended up kissing him and now have agreed on going on a date on Friday night."

Regina sighed and gave in, knowing all too well how much Kathryn would bug her until she did and she truly wasn't in the mood to deal with that. She pulled the letter out of her bag and reclined on her bed, reciting the letter word for word. Kathryn didn't say a word the entire time and when she finished, she let the letter fall to the bed next to her hip.

"Kathryn?"

"I'm still here," she said quietly. "That was…something else."

"Oh, do tell me what you truly think, Kat."

Kathryn laughed. "I'm not sure you're going to like what I have to say, Regina."

"Oh would you just spit it out?"

"I don't think Graham wrote that letter."

"Don't be ridiculous. He came to meet me exactly where he'd stated in the letter and he recited the very same line to me. If he didn't write the letter, how else would he have known what to say, hmm?"

"Coincidence," Kathryn supplied. "Look, Regina," she paused for a moment. "I think you know, deep down, that he didn't write the letter. He couldn't have. Graham is a nice guy and everything, but shy? Not as much. Nervous? Not when it comes to girls. Or anything else really. He's not the type to write some love letter and leave it in a girl's locker."

Regina sat up in bed, anger suddenly coursing through her. "What the hell is your problem, Kathryn? You know what you sound like right now? Jealous!"

"Jealous?" Kathryn snapped. "What's _your_ problem, Regina? All I am saying is—"

"No, you're not just saying," Regina said and she slipped off her bed, feeling too wound up to stay still. "The first guy in a long time tells me he likes me and wants to take me out on a date and you're telling me that he's not the type to write a letter and slip it in my locker!"

"Are you listening to yourself right now?"

"Are you?"

"Regina, as happy as I am for you, I am just telling you that I don't think that he—"

"Stop, just stop it, Kathryn."

Regina was breathing heavily, the hand she held her phone in shaking slightly. She was appalled that someone she considered a close friend had turned on her like that. Kathryn was supposed to be supportive, not telling her that there was no possibly way that Graham could have written that letter _after_ she had read it to her.

"I'm going to go," Regina said quietly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Regina—"

She hung up with a shake of her head and tossed her phone on to her bed. The muscles in the back of her neck were tense and her head was now throbbing as a dull headache settled in. She grabbed her robe and stormed out of the bedroom and into the bathroom just down the hallway. It was nothing that a warm bath couldn't help soothe the tension in her body and to calm her down.

She ran the water in the deep tub, filling it with vanilla scented bubble bath, watching the bubbles rise and fill the tub slowly. She inhaled deeply, trying to clear her mind, but that nagging feeling was back and it settled not just in her mind, but deep in her gut. And it wasn't just over concern that Emma hadn't returned any of her texts or phone calls, but over what Kathryn had said to her that had angered her so.

While the tub continued to fill, she went back to her room to retrieve the letter and headed back into the bathroom, locking the door before stripping out of her clothes and settling into the deep tub as the water continued to flow out of the faucet. Once it reached an acceptable level, covering her up almost to her shoulders, she shut the tap off with her foot and reached for the letter she had placed on the edge of the tub.

She read over the letter for the third time that day, this time taking in each line, one word at a time. Something in the way the words laid out felt familiar and she had a feeling it wasn't because she'd read the letter three times. She played with the thought, wondering if it hadn't been Graham, just who was it? The letter said they were friends and Regina didn't have a lot of friends, at least not ones that were single and capable of writing a love letter and leave it in her locker to discover on the first day of senior year.

She pinched at the bridge of her nose and let the letter fall to the floor, sinking into the tub and letting the warm water soothe her. The more she tried to forget the things Kathryn had said and the fact that there was that oddly familiar tone to the letter she couldn't quite put her finger on, her thoughts never slowed down long enough for them to be coherent enough for her to completely understand.

No, that was a lie and it was the denial talking and she knew it. With a groan, she inhaled deeply and slipped under the warm bath water, completely submerging herself and suppressing the urge to just scream out in frustration. When she emerged from under the soapy water, her eyes burned with tears and she was trembling.

Why couldn't things just be simple? Why couldn't she just let go of her feelings she had developed for Emma or learn to embrace them, accept them? Why couldn't Kathryn have kept her opinion to herself after she'd read her the letter she found in her locker that morning?

Finding the water cooling rapidly, she pulled the plug and moved to the shower stall, turning the water on hot, almost too hot to stand, the spray singeing her skin like red hot needles as she washed the soapy bubble bath from her skin and hair. She stood under the spray of water for a long time until a knock on the door jolted her from the blank trance she'd fallen into.

"Regina, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Mother."

"You've been in there for almost two hours. Your father and I are concerned—"

"I'm just having a shower," Regina replied, reaching for the handle to turn off the water. "I'm fine, Mother. I'll just be going to bed shortly."

"If you are certain," came the hesitant reply. "Good night, dear."

"Good night."

Regina grabbed the towel off the rack as she stepped out of the shower stall. Her skin was pink and hot from the water and she dried herself off gently, her skin flaring at the softness of the towel, it feeling more like sandpaper against raw skin.

She scooped up the letter from the floor before slipping her robe on. She read over it again once more before she folded it and placed in in her robe pocket. It was growing late and she could feel the exhaustion pulling at her. She quietly made her way to her bedroom, the door open and the light left on while the rest of the house was dark and quiet. She towelled her hair as dry as she could before sweeping her books off of her bed and picked up her cell phone.

No messages. No missed phone calls. With a sigh, Regina plugged it into the charger before laying down on top of the duvet, still in her robe and almost too drained to change. Her thoughts shifted as she closed her eyes and she was suddenly determined not to let Kathryn's words bother her any longer.

Determined yes, but deep down she knew that no matter how hard she tried, she knew that Kathryn was right.

There was no way that Graham was the one who had written the letter.

The thoughts of just who had, were what plagued her mind as she gave into the pull of sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday's, I know I sure did! Let me know what you think of this one as I have many, many little ideas for this story and I am so very excited to write more :) Thanks to those who have left reviews and faved/followed the story so far, it's much appreciated. Do enjoy! Warning: Graham/Regina relationship, but (bear with me) it's not the basis of this story and SQ is still very much end-game no matter what...**

* * *

Twenty minutes before the warning bell, Regina strolled through the front doors and headed down to the hallway where her locker was. She walked as if she were on a mission, and in some ways she was since she'd seen Emma's yellow Bug parked on the far end of the parking lot and not in its usual spot.

Her heels clicked loudly against the floor as she kept a brisk pace, her knee length skirt flowing and swishing with every step she took. She had her bag slung around one shoulder, her light wool jacket slung over one arm and the white blouse with the plunging neckline contrasted nicely against her skin. One would argue that she was not dressed appropriately for school, but even after a night of restless sleep and dreams that left her questioning herself more and more, it wasn't going to stop her from dressing to impress.

She turned the corner and was not surprised to see Kathryn standing by her locker waiting for her. With a sigh of disappointment that it wasn't Emma, she continued the walk and came to a stop, subtly raising an eyebrow at Kathryn.

"Good morning," Kathryn said easily, stepping aside from Regina's locker to allow her access to open it. "Regina, I want to apologize—"

"Save it, Kathryn. I'm not in the mood for grovelling so early in the morning."

"Why is there grovelling? Did I miss something?" Ruby asked, startling Regina a little, almost as if she'd just magically appeared behind her.

"No, it's nothing," Kathryn said easily and Regina just vaguely caught the tight, forced smile Kathryn flashed at Ruby out of the corner of her eye. "Did you catch a ride with Emma?"

"No, I've been texting her but she hasn't been answering. I walked."

"Sorry about Frederick this morning, he's being an asshole because he thinks I spend more time with you than I spend with him.'

"But you do."

"What can I say, I like spending more time with my _girlfriend_ than I do with him."

Regina rolled her eyes at their playful, familiar banter. She gripped on to the edge of her locker before turning to face her friends. "Emma's not answering your texts either, Ruby?"

"No, I even called her but her phone is off. I saw her car out in the parking lot though, so she's definitely here," Ruby replied and she shrugged, making out to be no big deal. It was a gesture that made Regina remind herself the same thing. "So, Regina, have you seen Graham yet?"

"Hmm? No, I just got here myself," she replied and she caught the look that Ruby and Kathryn exchanged. "What?"

"Kat told me," Ruby said and she flinched when Kathryn poked her hard in the shoulder. "I'm sorry!" Ruby winced. "Regina, honestly I think that Kathryn is right about—"

"Just stop," Regina snapped and she slammed her locker shut, forgetting to grab her books she'd need for the morning. "I don't want to hear either of you talk about the letter. God, what was I thinking trusting you, Kathryn?"

"You _can_ trust me!"

"Apparently not when you told your _girlfriend_ what the letter had said and shared your opinion with her on how it couldn't have been Graham who wrote it!" Regina scoffed.

"Regina—"

"Leave me alone," Regina said darkly as she strolled past them. "And do me a favour, Kathryn, and keep your damn mouth shut about the letter."

Regina walked down the hallway, the corners of her mouth twitching into a scowl. She turned the corner and headed for the bathroom, pleased to find it empty. She inhaled sharply, her anger bubbling inside of her and she ran her fingers through her hair, turning to the mirror to immediately fix it back into place.

Her emotions were running high and she felt utterly ridiculous in allowing her emotions to control her in the way they were. It hurt because she thought her friends would've been supportive of the fact that after being single for so long, that someone was interested in being with her and that maybe after they went on a few dates, she'd have a boyfriend. Or was Graham already her boyfriend since they'd kissed a few times?

She laughed incredulously at herself and the thoughts stealing through her mind. What was she even thinking? Sure, they were still in high school and she was well aware of how high school relationships worked. She saw them all the time and was witness to one when it came to Kathryn and Frederick. She herself had never experienced it first hand, the few guys she had dated in the past never lasted more than a date or two. Was it so bad that she wanted to have that experience, to have that high school romance before it was too late?

Regina stared at her reflection and laughed under her breath before slipping out of the bathroom and back out into the hallway that was slowly filling with students as the clock grew closer to the bell. She headed back down to her locker, pleased to find that Ruby and Kathryn were no longer there. She spun the combination and pulled her locker open a moment later, pulling out her books for her first period class.

She looked to her right, catching sight of familiar blonde hair amongst the crowd down the hallway and Emma emerged, muttering under her breath at the guys who cat-called her. She approached her own locker with an expressionless look on her face. Regina offered her a smile, one that went unnoticed and unacknowledged as Emma struggled to open her locker.

"Hi," Regina said gently, her greeting ignored. "Emma?"

"What?"

"Did you lose your phone?"

"Why?" Emma asked, her voice clipped as she shoved her bag into her locker.

"I've been trying to text and call you," Regina replied and she took a moment just to take in the sight of Emma. There was definitely something going on with her, she could not only hear it but see it as well. "Emma?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess I did," she shrugged. "I'll see you later, Regina. I have to get to class."

"The warning bell hasn't even—"

"Regina," Graham smiled as he swept in just as Emma slammed her locker shut. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning, Graham," Regina smiled at him, looking over his shoulder as Emma walked away. "How are you?"

"Fantastic. I meant to call last night, but I wasn't sure if the traditional dating rules apply."

"Need I remind you that we have not gone on a date yet?"

"Technically not, no, but I've been thinking and well, we're already friends," he said and he placed a hand on the locker, leaning in to her. "We already know each other. Isn't dating a phase for two people who barely know one another to have time to do just that?"

"I suppose, yes."

Graham just smiled and leaned in to steal a quick kiss. Regina wasn't sure where he was going with the conversation and her mind wasn't at all on him in the moment either. When he kissed her again, still keeping it light and chaste and respectful, she reeled back at the sound of his friends whooping and hollering at the two of them.

"Ah, don't mind them," he chuckled. "They're just a bunch of idiots."

"That they are."

"So," Graham said slowly, another smile curling over his lips. "Can I call you or do I have to wait until after we've had our first date?"

"Yes, you can call me any time."

"Cool," he said with a drawl that was meant to lure her in and only did quite the opposite, making her want to slip away before he could kiss her again.

"I should get to class," Regina said with a motion of her head, indicating she needed to leave.

"Can I walk with you?"

"I don't know, can you?" Regina asked teasingly. "I have Economics."

"What a coincidence," Graham laughed. "Looks like we're going to the same class this morning."

Regina fought to keep the smile on her face, taking his offered arm and let him lead the way to their first period class. She didn't fail to notice the way he clung to her as they entered the classroom, nor did she fail to notice instead of him taking his usual seat in the back, he chose to sit behind her near the front.

It was all perfectly normal, of course, that she knew, but it didn't _feel_ normal to her. She spent majority of the class lost within her own thoughts. She liked Graham, they were friends and he obviously had feelings for her than ran deeper than friendship, it showed in the littlest signs of affection, those small, chaste kisses and then the way he would brush his fingers over her shoulder while the teacher droned on about the course outline for the semester.

But something just felt off about everything and she blamed Kathryn for putting it in her head that it hadn't been Graham that wrote the letter. He hadn't even mentioned it and she hadn't either, to be fair. Should she ask him about the letter or leave the whole thing alone? Those thoughts rang loud and clear through her mind as the bell went off.

She just barely managed to slip away from Graham and to her next class. The day was going exactly in every opposite way than she had imagined. She felt detached from her own life and completely miserable. Emma obviously wasn't talking to her for whatever reason, Kathryn had betrayed her trust and told Ruby about the letter and now Ruby thought the same thing that Kathryn though when it came down to the letter she'd found in her locker the day before.

Just like first period, she spent the second in Chemistry lost in her own thoughts, barely paying attention to the teacher or to the people who were in class with her. She tried in vain to figure out exactly just what it was that was bothering her so much, a feat within itself. She felt as if she were in a daze when the bell went off and she was one of the last to walk out of the class, nearly running straight into a handful of nervous freshmen out in the hallway.

Regina headed for her locker, the break between second and third period almost ten minutes and would give her some time to get her head together. She rolled her eyes when she saw Kathryn waiting for her and she inhaled sharply, holding her head high as she approached her.

"Hey," Kathryn said with a small smile. "Regina, I really am sorry for what I said."

"Hmm."

"And I'm really sorry for telling Ruby," she continued quickly. "I truly am."

Regina sighed. "I've spent almost all night and most of this morning thinking about what you said and second-guessing a lot of things, Kathryn. I really did not need this. I thought you were my friend—"

"I am!"

"Then why can't you be supportive?" Regina asked her. "I mean, Graham isn't my boyfriend but we're…seeing each other, I suppose you can say."

"I am supportive," Kathryn repeated and she grabbed Regina by her shoulders. "Graham is a great guy, we all know that. He'll treat you the way you deserve to be treated, unlike most guys in this town."

"But?" Regina asked, shrugging Kathryn's hands off of her. "I swear, Kathryn, if you tell me one more time about how you think that Graham didn't write that letter—"

"I think you can do so much better than him."

Regina scoffed and shook her head at Kathryn. "One minute you're telling me that he's a great guy and that he'll treat me the way I deserve to be treated and the next you're telling me that I can do so much better than him?"

Kathryn frowned, looking exasperated at the way their conversation had yet again taken a turn and set Regina off on a hostile path. "Regina, I hate this. I should've never said anything, but you cannot be serious if you honestly tell me that you think he wrote that letter to you."

"Right back to the letter," Regina scoffed. "Humour me, Kat, and tell me just who do you think wrote it if it wasn't Graham, hmm?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

"Then how do you know it's not him?"

"Have you asked him about it?" Kathryn jabbed. "Have you, Regina?"

"No."

"Maybe you should."

"Maybe you should mind your own business," Regina retorted and she opened her locker and shoved her books inside. "You know, I have been nothing but supportive of you and Frederick since you two started dating. I don't tell you that I think he's an asshole and that I believe you are stringing him along because it's easy to stay with someone like him."

"Excuse me?"

"Whoa, guys!" Ruby interjected as she stepped in between them suddenly. "What the hell is going on with you two?"

Regina smoothed her hands down her skirt, biting her tongue as she grabbed her books for her next class. When she turned around, Ruby was gently pulling Kathryn aside, both of them talking quietly, Ruby clearly trying to calm Kathryn down after the exchange the two of them had had. Regina sighed heavily, shutting her locker with her hip and leaned against it, frowning at the feeling that weighed heavily in her gut.

What was going on with her and Kathryn? They never argued, they never spoke in hurtful jabs, but something in the way that Kathryn kept insisting that she believed that Graham didn't write the letter had bothered her to no end and she _still_ couldn't figure out why.

Regina licked over her lips and sighed heavily, watching Ruby pull Kathryn down the hall and out of sight. Regina pushed herself off of the lockers and stopped when she spotted Emma headed her way. She couldn't stop the smile that curled over her lips either and she waited, watching Emma hurry down the hallway.

"Emma, I really need to talk to you."

"I'm kind of in a hurry right now, Regina."

"Emma, what's going on with you?" Regina asked, placing a hand on her locker before Emma could open it. "Seriously, you're acting strange, avoiding me, avoiding our friends. You were perfectly fine yesterday the last I saw you. Did something happen?"

"No, no I'm—I'm just a bit stressed out about my classes. I think I might have to request a spare or something," Emma said quickly, stammering on a few of her words. "Do you mind? I need to get my textbook and run down to the guidance counsellor's office before next period and I'm really cutting it close right now."

Regina lifted her hand off her locker and watched Emma as she busied herself, quickly swapping textbooks before slamming the locker shut. Regina reached out for her hand and grabbed it gently. "Emma, I'm concerned," she said softly just as the bell rang. "Can we talk at lunch, please?"

Emma shrugged and looked down at their joined hands before jerking her hand free of Regina's gentle hold. "Yeah, sure, I just…I really have to go."

Who she watched walk away from her was not her best friend, but a shell of her. It was almost as if they hadn't just spent the last nine weeks of summer together every single day, having the time of their lives. It was almost as if they had a falling out without Regina even being aware of it or what she'd done or said that pushed Emma away.

When had her life started to fall apart with teenage drama? Senior year, as far as she was concerned, was not supposed to be like this and it was only the second day. She needed to fix things between her and Kathryn and she was going to do that at lunch. She needed to let go of that feeling in the pit of her stomach regarding the letter and just let it go. She had to convince herself that Kathryn wasn't right and that she had every right to think that way, to voice her opinion without being snapped at for saying it in the first place.

Once she apologized to Kathryn for being such a bitch, she'd talk to Emma, find out what was really going on with her and why all of a sudden she was being treated with the silent treatment. Satisfied with a plan in mind, she headed to her next class, hoping this time she wouldn't be plagued with a thousand different thoughts as she had all morning.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case as soon as she sat down and found Graham moving to sit behind her just as he had during the first period. She smiled, but it was more of a grimace and she turned her attention to the front of the class, the calculus teacher droning on in a monotone voice before the last of the students had found a seat. Regina groaned quietly, wishing she was anywhere but there. It was going to be a long fifty minutes until lunch.

* * *

Regina had managed to talk to Kathryn during lunch, apologizing to her a handful of times before Kathryn gave in and accepted her apology. They both agreed not to discuss their relationships in any negative way as well as agreeing not to bring up the letter Regina had found in her locker as well. They agreed to disagree and left it at that. Regina had felt relieved, but she still felt something heavy weighing on her.

She'd gone to look for Emma after talking with Kathryn, surprised she hadn't been in the cafeteria at all for the first half of lunch period. She blew Graham off when she ran into him just outside the cafeteria in the hallway and she stormed off, leaving him standing there completely confused as to why she'd given him the cold shoulder. Yet, when the bell rang at the end of the period, she hadn't been able to find Emma anywhere.

It left her feeling frustrated and more confused than ever. She was late for English and slipped into the dark classroom, taking the only empty seat that was next to Emma while the teacher showed a presentation on the overhead.

"Hey," Regina said in a hushed whisper. "Where were you at lunch?"

"Library," Emma replied just as quietly, barely taking her eyes off the presentation.

"Em—"

"Can we not right now? I'm trying to pay attention."

Regina huffed as she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. Regina clenched her jaw tight. If Emma wasn't going to talk to her then she was going to need to talk to Kathryn or Ruby, see if they could find out what the hell had happened to her since class ended yesterday. None of it was making a shred of sense to her and it only served to send her further fuming in her frustration.

Regina didn't try to go after Emma when class was over and Emma was one of the first up and out of her seat, practically running for the door and away from her it seemed. Instead of heading for her last class, she found Ruby and all but dragged her into the nearest bathroom.

"What's up, Regina?" Ruby asked casually. "Did you and Kathryn—"

"This isn't about Kathryn," she said quickly. "Something is seriously going on with Emma."

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't noticed her acting any different, have you?"

"Is this because she lost her phone and it feels like she'd avoiding you?"

"No, yes, no," Regina shook her head. "She won't talk to me, Ruby. For some reason or another, she is completely avoiding me and when I have had the chance to talk to her, she's—_oh_."

"Oh?"

"You know," Regina scoffed as she stepped back from Ruby. "You know what's going on with her, don't you?"

Ruby was about to shake her head no, but she frowned as she caved. "I do. She told me last night and I swear, Regina, if you say one word about what I'm about to tell you…"

"Just spit it out."

"Kathryn was right. About the letter. Graham didn't write it," Ruby said shakily. "Emma did."


	4. Chapter 4

Denial. Denial was far easier to deal with than the bomb that Ruby had dropped on her. Denial was familiar and she grabbed a hold of it despite the ache, the longing in her heart.

Friday came quickly and Regina had spent the last few days feeling as if she were on autopilot, going through the motions of her every day life, choosing to forget the letter, what Ruby had said, and instead focused on school, on spending time with Graham, finding herself drawn to him more and more even despite knowing he hadn't really written that letter as she had so believed before.

Even despite the feelings she had for Emma that were clearly reciprocated.

Spending her free time with Graham had made it easy to ignore her thoughts, the emotions, everything she felt deep inside her very soul. Graham, she had convinced herself, was right for her right _now_ and she wasn't going to let him slip through her fingers. Being with Graham would be easier than it would be for her to admit her feelings for Emma.

Easy. That's the route she had chosen to take and she was determined to stick with it.

At least until it all fell apart on her in the end.

Regina had started spending her lunch period with Graham in the atrium the day after Ruby had dropped the bomb on her and word had been floating around the school that they were dating. By Friday afternoon, she was looking forward to her date with Graham that night, looking forward to the distraction it'd bring, one she so desperately needed. After the last period, she headed for her locker, nearly stopping short when she saw Emma standing there waiting with Ruby and Kathryn, the three of them engaged in what looked like a serious conversation.

With a sharp intake of breath, she walked over to her friends with a smile on her face and said nothing as she opened her locker and grabbed her bag. She tucked the notebooks she'd need to do her homework that weekend inside and shut her locker slowly and turned to face her three friends who had fallen silent the moment she approached them.

Yet, before she could say a word to any of them, Graham slid in, his back to her friends as he smiled down at her and casually reached up to tuck an errand strand of hair behind her ear. He said nothing as he leaned in for a kiss, his lips lingering for a few seconds longer than any of the other kisses they'd shared up until that very moment.

"Hey," Regina breathed out, gently pushing him back to break away from the kiss. "What time are you picking me up tonight?"

"Seven. Is that all right?"

"It's fine."

"I'm looking forward to taking you out tonight, Regina," Graham said softly. "Do you have a curfew that I need to be aware of?"

"Make sure you get her home before midnight," Kathryn chortled and Regina shot her a glare over Graham's shoulder. "You'll thank me when you don't face the wrath of Cora Mills."

Regina rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh stop it, Kathryn, my mother isn't that bad."

"Midnight, right then," Graham smiled, his attention back on her. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah," she smiled right back at him, stiffening as he kissed her once more, far too aware of her friends standing a few feet away, watching them. Graham sauntered off and Regina let out a soft sigh before turning to look at her friends. "You know, it's awfully rude to stare."

With that, she turned on her heels and headed towards the front of the school, not caring in the slightest of the hurt looks on all three faces, and again choosing the path of denial and choosing to ignore the hurt, puppy-dog look Emma had on hers from the moment Graham had shown up. It wasn't easy to look past what was really going on, but it was easy to ignore the things she was feeling, easier to deal—or rather to not deal with the confusion and longing and fear that swirled around inside of her constantly.

Regina slipped on her sunglasses as she strolled out of the front doors and headed down the steps and towards the parking lot. She received a few stares from the people lingering out in front of the school as she walked past them and a snarky smile curled over her lips. The girls, she knew, were jealous because she was with Graham, she'd heard the whispers and the gossip that had spread like wildfire loud and clear. The guys, either they were indifferent or they were jealous of Graham because she had given him a chance and none of them.

"Regina?" Ruby's voice reached her ears once she was nearly at her car. "Regina, wait!"

"What now, Ruby?" Regina asked as she came to a stop and turned around. "Come to drop another bomb on me, hmm?"

"Regina, what the _hell_ is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem, dear," she said evenly. "I have a date that I need to go home and get ready for, so if you don't mind, I'll just be going and do just that."

"I'm serious," Ruby said as she moved to place herself between the driver's door and Regina. "I want to know why the hell you're acting like such a bitch? This isn't you! I know you, and you're acting like this because—"

"Because what?" Regina snapped. "Because you think I'm what, in denial that I'm in love with Emma Swan and that is why I'm acting like this?"

Despite it being the truth underneath the denial, it came out sarcastic and it hurt. She hid it all well, not a flicker of emotion showing even though her eyes were hidden from plain sight.

"You are," Ruby replied and Regina laughed sharply. "Regina, I'm not fucking stupid, okay. I may have spent the summer in a completely different state, but I know that something major has changed with you and I could tell the instant I saw you on the first day of school."

"The only thing that has changed is the fact that I have a boyfriend now."

"I thought you said he wasn't your boyfriend?"

"Things change."

"In three days?" Ruby rolled her eyes. "You're such a fucking hypocrite, Regina. You get into it with Kathryn, telling her she's only with Frederick because he's easy and you're doing the same thing with Graham!"

"Get out of my way. Now."

Ruby threw her hands up and stepped aside, making a bow-like flourish as Regina roughly pulled the door open and slipped inside. She practically gunned her way out of her parking space and through the parking lot, slamming on the breaks at the exit before making a hard, fast right turn onto the street.

She was thankful that the house was empty when she arrived home and she headed straight for her bedroom, slinging her bag onto her immaculately made bed before heading for the closet to nitpick over an outfit for her date later that night. Once again, she chose the path of denial, one of ignorance and indifference. She chose, once again, to ignore what Ruby had said to her, instead focusing on whether to wear Prada or Louboutin's and would base her decision on an outfit from there.

Denial was always easier, even if it meant that more than one person would end up hurt because of it in the end.

* * *

It was well past midnight when Graham pulled up in front of the Mills' house and slid the car into park. Their date, which had gone far better than Regina had expected, was coming to an end. She had enjoyed her time spent with Graham despite their date being the rather cliché dinner and a movie. She enjoyed it enough that she hadn't worried about the time or the fact that she was well past her curfew and there was a high chance that her mother could be waiting up for her as well.

After dinner at Granny's Diner and then the movie—Insidious—was not something Regina had expected him to take her to see. It did have the typical first date cliché feel of course, horror movies tended to make the woman turn to the man during the scarier parts. It almost made her roll her eyes at how she'd fallen for that, with her burying her face into his shoulder and neck more times than she could count. It was obvious he had enjoyed it from the smirk that had been on his face as they walked out of the theater hand in hand after the movie was over. It was also obvious he had purposely taken her to see that particular movie for that very reason as well.

He'd taken her down to the harbour after the movie and they sat on the hood of his car together for a few hours, just talking quietly and taking in the sight of the moonlight that reflected off the eerily calm water. He'd been far more respectful than she imagined him to be, holding her hand, stealing a few chaste kisses and never pushing for anything more and for that she was grateful.

"I had a great time tonight, Regina," Graham smiled over at her in the relative darkness that enveloped them in his car, the light from the streetlight barely making it to where he'd parked.

"I did as well," Regina smiled honestly and she slowly undid her seatbelt and tried not to look at the clock on the dash as it neared closer to one o'clock.

"I'd love to go out again soon," Graham continued, reaching out to take Regina's hand in his own. "Maybe we could go somewhere out of town next time."

"Oh, where about?"

"Just to Portland. I know about a little Italian restaurant there that I know you'd love."

"Would I?"

"It's romantic," he chuckled throatily. "Or so I've heard. I've never actually been myself, but I'd love to take you there."

Regina gave his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. "I'd like that, Graham."

"It's a date."

She smiled again and inhaled sharply as he leaned across the middle console and kissed her softly. She trembled as she pulled back at the first feel of his tongue trying to part past her lips and she shook her head almost shyly before reaching to open the door. Graham reached out for her hand, lifting it to his lips and placed a tender kiss along her knuckles.

"I really had a great time tonight."

"Yes, you already told me," Regina said as she pulled her hand out of his. "It's almost one."

"Can I have one more kiss?" Graham asked before she could open the door. "A proper kiss?"

"A proper kiss?" Regina repeated softly and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Graham, I really need to go. My curfew—"

He cut her off with his lips, lips that crashed against hers in an instant, lips that were hard in yearning. She wanted to push him away the instant his tongue demanded entrance past her lips, instead she didn't and allowed him the kiss, allowed him to take control, only just for a brief moment before she did push him away and lightly wiped at her lips.

"Right, curfew," Graham chuckled softly. "Good night, Regina."

"Good night."

Regina slipped out of the car, careful not to make a dash for the front door in a hurry. She glanced back down at where Graham parked his car, smiling at him as he waved goodbye. Regina waited until he drove away before unlocking the front door and quietly went inside. She let out a sigh of relief to find neither her mother or father had waited up for her.

Once she was in her bedroom and the door shut tightly behind her, she sat down on her bed slowly, her fingers lifting to her lips, lingering over them. Every time he kissed her, she never felt it, that spark she had always read about, that spark that was supposed to happen between two people meant to be together.

Was she really forcing this because it was easy and safe? Just as Ruby had said to her, repeating the words she'd said to Kathryn. Regina groaned and laid back on the bed, kicking off her Prada shoes as she did. Was that what she was doing with Graham, choosing to try this with him because it was easy? And safe?

Had she really pushed her friends away because she was still in denial that Emma was the one who wrote the letter and not Graham? Because she herself was in denial about the way she felt about her best friend?

"Get it together, Regina," she muttered as she got up from the bed and slipped out of her little black dress. She pulled off her nylon's and caught sight of her nearly naked body in the mirror, the red lingerie she wore contrasting perfectly against her skin.

With a laugh, she turned away from the mirror and grabbed her blue silk pajama's out of the top dresser drawer. She slipped out of her bra and panties, quickly changing into her pajama's before noticing that her cell phone screen had lit up. A text. Bending down to scoop up her clothes, she tossed them into the hamper before walking over to the bedside table and picking up her phone that she had left behind on her date.

**_Hey, how'd the date go?_**

Regina looked at the text, curious confusion settling in. Why would Emma text her after blatantly ignoring her all week? She settled into bed and her thumbs hovered over the screen for a few minutes before she realized how ridiculous she was being. Emma was her best friend and despite all that had happened over the last handful of days, that hadn't changed at all.

**_Good. Typical first date, I suppose._**

Regina hit send and laid back on her bed, her phone buzzing a minute later.

**_Can we talk? Can I call you now or maybe tomorrow?_**

**_Now is fine._**

**_Are you sure?_**

**_Yes, Emma._**

Regina inhaled sharply and a moment later her phone began to ring, suddenly hesitant to answer. What was she doing? Emma wanted to talk and that's what they'd always done before was talk after one or the other went on a date, always breaking it down and laughing about it in the end. She answered the call and slowly brought the phone up to her ear.

"Hello, Emma."

"Hi," Emma replied quietly.

"We need to talk."

"Yeah, we do. Regina, I—" Emma suddenly went quiet and Regina's breath hitched in her chest, not knowing what she was about to say next. "I want to apologize."

"Apologize? For what?" Regina asked, mildly surprised at Emma's words. "What do you have to apologize for, Emma?"

"For being the way I've been all week. It's stupid, really, I don't even know why I've been acting like this. I've just been so stressed out with my classes and I've got a really heavy course load this semester and I—"

"It's fine," Regina said gently. "I understand. You don't need to apologize for that. It's been a rather eventful first week."

Emma let out what sounded like a relieved sigh and they were silent for a few long minutes. Regina just listened to the sound of Emma breathing softly into the phone and she frowned as she started to slip out from the denial she'd forced herself into. She wanted to ask Emma why she wrote the letter, but she had to remind herself that what Ruby had told her was supposed to have been between her and Emma.

Bringing up the letter would mean coming between Ruby and Emma and she really, truly could not do that to either of them.

"So, is everything okay with us?"

"Why would you think that it's not, Emma?"

"Because I…this wasn't how our first week of senior year was supposed to go," she sighed. "It was supposed to be about making memories, having fun, you know? You're my best friend, Regina, and you don't deserve the way I've been pushing you out. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Emma, really. We can start fresh on Monday, start making those memories. We're only going to be seniors once."

Emma laughed. "Right, of course."

"Didn't you lose your phone?" Regina asked her, realizing then that Emma had lied to her.

"I—"

"Emma," she sighed. "Why did you lie to me?"

"I can't."

"Can't what?"

"Talk to you about this, at least not right now," she said, her voice sounding strained. "I should go, Regina. It's late and I'm pretty beat. I'm sure you are too after your date. How about we just, I don't know, hang out tomorrow? Just like old times?"

"Emma—"

"Good night, Regina."

"Emma, don't just—" Regina groaned in frustration when the call ended far too suddenly. "God, she's so infuriating."

With a huff, she tossed her phone on the bed beside her and closed her eyes tightly. It had surprised her when she saw Emma's text, more so when Emma said she wanted to call her. She wasn't even going to deny that it had felt good to hear Emma's voice, to talk to her again after feeling like it'd been a lot longer than just a week—not even a whole week really.

Despite it being late, she no longer felt as tired as she had during the ride home. Despite her denial, she no longer slipped under its comfortable mask and she allowed, for the first time since she got that letter, to think about just _how_ she felt about Emma Swan.

She didn't know when she'd fallen in love with her or even sure when she realized it, she just knew it had happened and that those feelings had swelled over the summer underneath the mask of denial. It wasn't just her thoughts, but dreams as well, dreams she couldn't control and dreams she couldn't get out of her head when she was awake either.

Dreams of Emma Swan, of kissing her and doing other things she had personally never done before. She wasn't completely vanilla, however, because she did remember after one particular dream that left her hot and bothered, she'd looked up a few videos online in the middle of the night and found herself in a trance watching two women have sex in every possible way that they could—and in ways she herself never imagined two women could pleasure one another.

Even now just thinking about it brought a blush to her face and she crossed her legs and squeezed her thighs shut tightly. Feeling absolutely ridiculous, she slipped under the all too familiar mask of denial once more

Denial was easier. Denial was safe.

Graham was easier. Graham was safe.

Emma Swan was her best friend, nothing more. She could never be anything more because Emma wasn't easier and she wasn't safer either.

Regina never planned on falling in love with her best friend, just like she never planned for the very same thing to happen to Emma as well. If only Ruby hadn't told her that it had been Emma who wrote the letter and not Graham.

It would just make her whole life easier, her thoughts safe from the place she had trouble thinking of without feeling those feelings, thinking that way about someone who was her very best friend.

Denial was easier.

At least that's what she tried to convince herself when she finally gave in to the pull of sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes: Thanks so much for the love for this story so far! I'm having too much fun writing this one and hope you guys stick around for the ride :)**

* * *

_"I can't."_

It had been the phrase that had quite literally haunted her thoughts. Despite the denial and everything else, Emma's words, those _two_ words, echoed throughout her mind. They never did end up seeing each other that weekend, Emma's excuse that very next morning, just hours after their late night phone call, of being roped into family time, denied them that time together. Sunday, her mother requested her presence at the country club, the Mills' regular family outing to keep up appearances for her father and his position as the town's mayor.

First thing Monday morning, Regina headed downstairs and into the kitchen, the intoxicating aroma of coffee luring her there. She smiled at her mother and noticed the bouquet of red roses lying on the island countertop.

"Did daddy give those to you?" Regina asked, picking them up to smell them. "They're quite beautiful."

"Yes, quite," Cora replied quietly. "They aren't for me, dear."

"Hmm?"

"They are yours, delivered by a handsome boy not even ten minutes ago," Cora smiled. "I wasn't aware that you were seeing someone, Regina."

"We've only had just one date, Mother."

"Is that where you went off to on Friday night?" Cora question and Regina nodded, moving to busy herself with making a cup of coffee. She hadn't told her mother about her date, just telling her she was going out with friends. Not quite a lie and not quite the truth either. "He seems like a nice enough boy, Regina."

"He is," Regina nodded.

"Not quite your type though, is he, dear?"

"I have no idea what you are implying, Mother. I don't have a type."

Regina rolled her eyes at her mother's insistent glare and she sipped her coffee before looking for a vase to put the roses in. Her mother normally didn't bring up dating with her, as it was a topic Regina hated discussing with her. Cora Mills had always indicated how extremely selective she was about who was worthy enough to be dating her daughter.

Any time that Regina had gone on a date in the past, her mother picked apart every bit of the guy she was with, always finding one thing or another that she implied she didn't like, whether it was the way they looked or the clothes they wore, the cars they drove or who their parents were. It was always something and Regina had never let that interfere with her dating like—or the entire lack of one most of the time. For her mother to tell her that Graham wasn't her type was rather quite shocking since she had expected far worse.

"Good morning, my loves!" Henry smiling brightly as he walked into the kitchen, his arms going around his wife as he kissed her on the cheek. "What beautiful flowers, who are they from? Don't tell me, my beautiful wife, that you have a secret admirer that I'm unaware of? Perhaps a lover you steal away with while I'm at the office?"

"Why yes, Enrique dropped these off this morning for me, dear, but not until after he professed his undying love for me and his desire to steal me away," Cora laughed and Regina rolled her eyes at her parents. "No, dear, they are for Regina."

"Regina?" Henry grinned at her. "I wasn't aware you were seeing someone."

"We just went on one date, Daddy."

"Who is he?"

"Someone suitable enough," Cora replied. "Graham Humbert, I believe. Isn't that right, Regina?"

"Yes," she nodded her head slowly and her father laughed with a shake of his head. "Although apparently he isn't my type."

"You don't have a type," Henry replied in a matter of fact tone and Regina laughed as she caught her mother rolling her eyes.

Regina, despite her mother being strict and firm, loved spending time with her parents and having small little moments together as a family. Her father spent too much time at the office and he was always so very busy even when he wasn't working. Her parents had a loving marriage and she had grown up not just seeing that love but feeling it from both of them. It had given her expectations of what she would eventually want in her own life, to be happily married one day to the love of her life.

After saying goodbye to her father, Regina finished getting ready for school, leaving earlier than usual and ignoring her questioning mother on her way out the door. She hadn't expected the flowers and she sent a text to Graham thanking him for them, not bothering to check the text that was sent back until she had parked her car.

She hadn't spoken with him at all throughout the weekend, but she didn't find it strange at all, liking the space he was obviously giving her. He wasn't the clingy type and neither was she and for that she was grateful for. She slipped out of her car, checking over the text Graham sent back and she smiled as she tucked her phone into her bag and looked around the nearly empty parking lot. Her smile grew when she saw Emma's yellow Bug pull into the parking lot and instead of parking it on the far end, she pulled in beside Regina's car, the breaks squealing as she came to a stop.

"Hey," Emma smiled as she got out of her car and shut the door with her hip. "I feel like all I have been doing since Friday is apologize to you, but I am sorry that we never got to hang out this weekend, Regina."

"There'll be plenty of other times," Regina replied easily. "We did just spend every waking moment together over the summer. I wouldn't blame you if you were purposely avoiding me last week because you have grown entirely sick of being around me."

"Me, get sick of you? Never," Emma chuckled and she moved to lean against the back of her car and sighed. "Regina?"

"Hmm?"

"There's something that I want to tell you," she said quietly and she looked around the parking lot uneasily. "I should've told you when we talked on Friday night, but I kind of freaked at the last minute. I thought I was ready but I wasn't. I am now. I think."

"You know you can talk to me about anything, Emma."

Emma sighed and smiled weakly. "I know. It's just, it's something I've been struggling with for a while now and I—god, this is harder than I thought it was going to be."

"What is it, Emma?"

Emma shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't know if I can."

Regina nodded, moving to lean against Emma's car next to her and ignoring her phone that had started to ring. She was internally freaking out, wondering if Emma was going to tell her that she wrote the letter, that she was the one who was in love with her. She wasn't even sure how she'd react to hearing her say those things to her and she just inhaled sharply, holding her breath as Emma shook her head and let out a small gasp.

"The reason why I couldn't hang out on Saturday was because I had to tell my parents something. Something pretty fucking huge, actually," Emma said quietly. "I wanted you to be the first to know, but I—I just…I came out to my parents on Saturday over breakfast."

"Came out of where?"

Emma laughed sharply. "The closet, Regina."

Confusion splayed over her face as she stared at a now red-faced Emma. "I don't—"

"I'm gay," Emma blurted out and she pushed herself off the car and ran her hands through her hair roughly before she started pacing in front of Regina.

Since finding out that Emma had written that letter, that Emma was in love with her, it never occurred to her that her best friend was a lesbian. Regina shook her head and slowly looked up at Emma, watching her as she started to have an emotional breakdown of sorts.

"Regina?" Emma stopped pacing and looked over at her, a flash of fear showing in her watery eyes. "Regina, say something, please?"

"You are…gay," she said slowly, looking over at her in surprise.

"I am," she said softly. "Is that weird? It's totally weird for you, isn't it"

"Not at all," Regina said quickly, pushing herself off the car with a smile. "I just never expected to hear you say _that_, that's all."

"It's going to make things weird between us, isn't it?"

"Why would you think that? Because you're gay?" Regina asked and Emma shakily nodded her head. "Oh, Emma, it's not going to change anything," she said and she wrapped her arms around her best friend. She felt Emma's reluctance to wrap her arms around her and when she did, she squeezed Emma a little tighter. "Thank you for telling me."

"Uh, you're welcome?"

Regina laughed as she let her go and she gently wiped Emma's tears from her cheeks with both hands. "Why are you crying?"

"I don't know."

"It's okay, Emma," she smiled and hugged her again, keeping the hug brief. "It doesn't change a thing. You are and always will be my best friend no matter what, okay?"

"There's something else I need to tell you, Regina."

Regina inhaled deeply, watching Emma struggling to hold herself together. "Emma, what is it?"

"I—I'm—"

"Regina, hi," Graham said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and spun her around a moment later. "I've been calling you," he said as she turned to look at him. "I stopped at Granny's and I wasn't sure if you wanted a coffee but I grabbed you one anyway. It's a good thing that Ruby was there or I wouldn't have known what you like in your coffee."

"Oh, thank you Graham," Regina said and she turned to look back at Emma only to find her halfway across the parking lot already. "And do tell, where is this coffee that you brought me?"

"I left it in my car," he said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder. "I thought we could sit in there and talk for a little while before the bell goes off."

"Graham, as sweet as it is that you brought me coffee this morning, I was in the middle of a conversation with Emma. That was very rude the way that you just interrupted us!"

Graham stepped back with both hands in the air. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Well?"

"Well what?" Regina scoffed.

"Coffee?" Graham asked tentatively and she rolled her eyes and forced a smile while he reached for her hand. "I am sorry I interrupted your conversation, Regina, but don't you two talk like every single day?"

"That is not the point!"

"Whoa, okay," Graham said and pulled his hand away from hers. "Must have been one hell of a heavy conversation if you're pissed at me for interrupting you two."

"Just…forget it, Graham."

"What were you two talking about anyway?"

"Nothing! It was a private conversation," Regina snapped and she closed her eyes, feeling her heart racing hard and she tried to calm herself down, taking a few deep breaths before forcing a smile on her face as she looked at Graham. "Let's just go to your car, drink the coffee you brought for me and we'll talk."

She should've known, she realized later, that talking in Graham's car meant kissing. They had talked a little while she sipped the hot coffee from Granny's Diner in the front of his car. Her mind had been swirling over Emma's revelation and wondering just what she was about to tell her next. She was almost positive that Emma had been about to tell her that she was in love with her and she might have if Graham didn't have the worst possible timing ever.

By the time the lunch period bell rang, she hadn't seen Emma since Graham had interrupted them mid-conversation in the parking lot. She had spent majority of that morning battling her inner thoughts, trying so very hard not to let the denial slip away and to allow herself to think of the things she truly wanted to think of.

She strolled into the cafeteria and after grabbing some fries and a bottle of water and a salad from the cafeteria, she headed over to their usual table and sat down alone. She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes when Graham took it upon himself to sit down next to her. She scolded herself in her head, reminding herself that she was dating Graham now and the fact that he wanted to spend time with her was only natural.

It was what all the couples did, eat lunch together, make out in the hallways between classes, be seen together. Regina had seen it far too many times and she just smiled at Graham, allowing him to steal a single kiss just to keep up with appearances.

Ruby joined them next and thankfully chose only to talk about the play the senior drama club was going to perform just before Christmas instead. Kathryn and Frederick came to sit down mere minutes after Ruby, Frederick and Graham instantly in an intense conversation about the football game that night. Regina picked away at her salad and looked around for Emma, but after twenty minutes, there had been not one single sign of her anywhere in the cafeteria and the fries she'd bought to share with her were getting cold. She shoved the tray towards the boys, indicating for them to eat them before she took off in search for Emma.

She checked the library first, but found no sign of her and after a quick walk through the school and outside, she hadn't found her anywhere. Her car was still parked beside her own in the parking lot and she was about to go and check to see if Emma was sitting inside her Bug when the warning bell rang. With a frown, Regina headed to her locker and then to English class, seated at her desk minutes before the period started.

Ten minutes into class, Emma finally showed up and handed the teacher a late slip while fumbling with an apology for being late for class. She sat down at the desk beside Regina's and scrambled to open her books, her hands visibly shaking and Regina could see her eyes were a little puffy and red, a tell-tale sign that she had been crying.

"Emma, are you okay?" Regina asked in a hushed whisper. "Emma?"

"I'm fine," Emma smiled, a forced one at that. "What did I miss?"

"Just the assignment on the board," Regina replied with a nod of her head towards the front of the classroom. "Emma, where were you at lunch? I was looking for you."

Emma shook her head, her hair falling over her face as she leaned forward and started with the creative writing assignment the teacher had assigned for that period. Regina chewed on the end of her pen, watching Emma closely for a moment. There was an ache that had settled in her chest, one she was still in complete denial over.

An ache that longed to tell her that she was in love with her too.

An ache that longed to reach out for her, to kiss away the tears she had obviously shed because of her, to just hold her. To kiss her. To bring happiness back into her life, to bring that look she always had in her eyes over the summer when it had just been the two of them together.

But she couldn't. She couldn't do any of those things and she all too easily slipped back under the comfortable denial she'd been in all this time. Because it was easier. Safer.

Because she was a _coward_ who, unlike Emma, could not accept the things she felt, the things she thought of, or the way when she let herself slip out of the tight hold of denial, she would just look at Emma Swan so openly and with the eyes of one that was not her best friend, but of one who was totally, completely, fully and truly in love with her.

The ache was growing and almost too much to ignore, too much to hide away from under the cloak of denial. She chewed her bottom lip, not taking her eyes off of Emma for the longest time. If she told her how she felt about her, it would change everything and she knew she wasn't ready for that.

She was so, so far from being ready for that.

Regina made up her mind by the end of that period that she had some serious thinking to do and she needed to do it soon. She needed to figure out just what the hell she was doing with Graham and figure out if it was worth it being with him because it was easier, safer. She needed to figure out once and for all if what she felt for Emma was real and she knew she had to find a way to come to accept it, despite it being so very hard for her to do just that.

If Emma could figure out for herself just who she truly was, surely she could do the same…

By the end of the day, her head was so full of thoughts that she felt a headache building up quite quickly. Graham was waiting by her car by the time she made it out of the school and she frowned when she found that Emma had already left, the parking spot next to hers now empty. With a frown, she tossed her bag in her car and on the passenger seat and allowed Graham to steal a kiss from her, one she did not return.

"Hey, you okay?" Graham asked gently and she nodded her head. "You seem a little off today."

"I'm fine, Graham. I just have a headache, that's all."

"Let me take you out tonight," he said with a smile, his hands planted firmly on her hips. "I want to go out with you tonight," he insisted. "What do you say? Will you?"

"Where?"

"I thought we could go for a drive," he shrugged casually. "And I heard a little rumour that there is going to be a little party down at the Toll Bridge tonight."

"It's Monday."

"So? We're seniors. We don't need it to be a weekend to get our party on," Graham chuckled and he leaned in and softly pressed his lips to hers, pulling back with a smile. "So, what do you say, Regina?"

"No," she sighed and his hands fell away from her hips. "Not tonight, Graham."

"Because you have a headache?"

Regina sighed and nodded her head. "Another time, okay?"

"Sure, of course. How about we go out again on Friday? I'll take you to that restaurant I was talking about in Portland."

"Fine," Regina said quickly and opened her car door. "We'll go out Friday, Graham."

"Hey," he said gently as he stopped her from getting into her car. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I told you I'm fine, I just have a headache. I'm—I just need to go home."

Graham smiled sweetly and leaned in for another kiss. She sighed and kissed him back, pulling away when she felt his tongue slip over her lips. She offered a small smile before getting in her car and she didn't drive off until he had walked away.

She groaned in frustration, hitting the steering wheel with the palms of her hands. She laughed at herself, at what a coward she was being and that she was such a sellout for choosing the easy path, the one that was supposed to be less complicated and confusing.

She couldn't even begin to imagine how hard it had been for Emma to come to terms with her own sexuality. How long had she been in denial for? How many sleepless nights had she gone through, struggling through all those thoughts that continuously plagued her mind?

Regina sure as hell didn't realize that falling in love with her best friend would be the opposite of everything she was looking for when it came to love.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next five weeks, Regina fell into a relatively normal pattern, keeping up with appearances at school and at the country club with her parents on the weekends. Friday nights had become a regular date night with Graham and she spent majority of her time in school and outside of school with him more than she spent with her friends. Her time with Graham made it easier to slip under the easy veil of denial than it was to try to figure things out for herself.

Just like the past four dates with Graham, she found herself seated in his car, the radio blaring as he drove back to Storybrooke from their date in Portland, Romano's becoming their usual date night dinner spot despite the hour long drive it took to get there. Regina didn't mind the drive, she did find it rather relaxing and Graham usually took the scenic route, winding and twisting roads along the coast.

It was still early in the evening and when Graham pulled into the clearly by the Toll Bridge, Regina frowned and knew exactly what his intentions were, just like they always were whenever he took her there. Regina knew she couldn't keep denying him those kisses he always sought and she knew it was driving him crazy that she wouldn't give him…more, but Graham was too much of a gentleman to push her too far too fast, at least she _hoped_ he would remain one until she was ready to take their relationship to a bit more of a physical level.

If she was honest with herself—and that was something that she had been struggling with herself for quite some time now—she almost loathed the thought of doing anything more than kissing Graham.

"Why are we here?" Regina asked as Graham undid his seatbelt once the car was in park.

"Isn't it obvious?" Graham asked, casually slinging his arm over the back of her seat. "You don't have to be home for another two hours and I had a great time with you tonight."

"I as well," Regina nodded and she forced a smile on to her lips as she stared at him in the darkness the enveloped the car. "Graham?"

"Hmm?"

"Maybe we can just…talk?"

"You want to talk?" Graham looked confused as his fingers trailed over the side of her neck just above her jacket collar. "Talk about what, Regina?"

"I feel like we don't really talk much, about anything really."

"That's because I'd much rather be kissing you when we're alone," Graham chuckled throatily, sliding a little closer to her, the middle console keeping that small amount of space between them. "Just like I want to right now. How about we take this back there," he said with a nod to the back seat. "What do you say, Regina?"

Regina knew if she said no, he'd be upset and they'd end up arguing just like they almost had the last time she had tried to tell him no. She knew that if she said yes, that he would try to take things a little further between them. It was just a feeling she had and she could almost sense the frustration that had been rolling off him in waves ever since he'd picked her up hours ago.

She really wanted to say no, to ask him just to take her home, but they had been together for nearly a month and a half and she was his girlfriend after all. She leaned over suddenly, kissing him lightly and realized how completely ridiculous she was being. Her boyfriend wanted to make out in the back seat of his car and she was completely overthinking things, just as she found she always ended up doing when she was alone with Graham. She leaned back with a smile and she was the first to slip out of the car and into the back. Her heart was racing hard in her chest as Graham slipped in beside her, pulling her in towards him instantly before he even closed the door.

Regina ignored the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach and kissed him back, this time she being the first to slip her tongue past his lips to deepen the kiss. His hands moved to settle on her body, one hand on her shoulder, the other coming to rest on her hip. She tensed, stilling her lips as the hand on her hip started to glide up her side slowly, firmly.

"Graham, no," she murmured and he pulled back with a frustrated grunt.

"We've been together for over a month, Regina."

"I know that we have—"

"You barely let me kiss you," he said quietly. "You won't let me touch you."

"I want to take things slow, Graham. You know that."

"You're my girlfriend, Regina, but you act like we're nothing more than friends!"

"Graham—"

He cut her off with a hard kiss, stunning her into silence at the intensity of the kiss, the hardness of his lips against hers, the forceful way his tongue demanded entrance past her lips. Her head was spinning, her stomach twisting in knots and she groaned quietly, pushing at his chest to get him to stop, but he clearly had no intention of stopping. Panic filled her as his hand groped her right breast a little too roughly and she hit his chest with fists balled up tight and tears springing to her eyes.

"Stop it, Graham!" Regina screamed as she snapped her head back and pushed away at his hands on her body. "Just stop!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Graham snapped and he roughly ran his fingers through his hair. "You're nothing but a prude, Regina Mills."

"I am not a prude! It's called self-respect! I'm not one of those girls who—"

"You're my girlfriend!" He repeated for the umpteenth time. "I want to kiss you, I want to make out for hours, I want to touch you everywhere and it's driving me crazy because you won't let me do anything but barely kiss you!"

Graham tried again to kiss her, but she pushed him back with all her strength and scrambled to get out of the back seat of his car. He followed just as quickly, grabbing on to her wrist to keep her from walking away.

"Don't touch me," she seethed as she spun around to stare hard at him. "You told me you were okay with taking things slow, Graham! Clearly, you are not. Clearly you only said those things so that I would _trust_ you and let you in, probably hoping it'd be a lot sooner than what I am even ready for!"

"Right," Graham laughed bitterly, holding up his hands in front of him. "You know what, I can't do this, Regina. I like you, a lot, but I can't do this anymore. I can't be with someone who obviously isn't as in to me as I am into them."

"So, what, you're breaking up with me because I won't let you get to second base?" Regina scoffed and she reached into the front seat through the open window and pulled out her small black purse. "You are just like every other guy out there, aren't you? You only want one thing. You only want to have sex, screw love, right?"

"Doesn't everyone want that?" Graham asked. "Oh wait, no, not Regina Mills, the town prude!"

"Fuck you!"

"Right, something you'll obviously never do!"

"You know, I believed that you wrote that letter and even after finding out that you did not, I still wanted it to have been you."

"What letter?" Graham asked, confusion splayed over his face. "What are you even talking about? What letter?"

"No, you don't get that right, you don't get to know what that letter said, but you know something? Someone out there is in love with me and I feel so _stupid_ because I believed it was you when you met me by the bleachers on the first day of school."

Graham laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Someone is in love with you?" He asked incredulously and he laughed at her. "I find that hard to believe."

"I thought it was you!"

"Hey, I said I liked you that day, I never said anything about love!"

"God," Regina sighed and she turned her back to him. "I'm really stupid, aren't I?"

"Maybe you're just a dyke like your best friend—"

Regina spun around and slapped him across the face, hard. It left her hand stinging and it was all Graham needed to storm over to his car, get in and he drove away, leaving here standing there by the Toll Bridge in the cold and dark night. Regina shakily breathed out as she shook her stinging hand and watched the rear lights fade down the road quickly.

Regina waited, a part of her hoping that he wouldn't just leave her stranded there. The walk into town was a long one and she was definitely not making that walk home in her Louboutin heels. It all of a sudden sank in, every moment since he had stopped the car and parked there, just what had happened between them. He had not only tried but had forced himself on her and she felt sick to her stomach when she realized that he was not the guy she had believed him to be.

She felt the burn of her tears as she pulled her cell phone out of her purse. She couldn't call her parents as they had gone to Boston for the weekend and wouldn't be back until late Sunday afternoon. She scrolled through her contacts and blinked through her tears as she hit Emma's name and lifted the phone to her ear slowly.

"Regina?" Emma asked quietly, answering the phone almost immediately. "Regina, it's late."

"Emma, I need you," she whispered, the way her voice sounded made it clear that she was crying and upset. "Graham, he—he broke up with me and I have no way home."

"Where are you?"

"Toll Bridge."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

Regina sighed as she hung up and slipped the phone back into her purse. She hugged her arms around herself, her thin jean jacket she wore over her black dress doing nothing to starve off the chill in the mid-October air. She furiously wiped at her cheeks, willing herself not to cry, but the more she tried not to, the harder the tears fell and the more her mind recalled what had happened in the back seat of his car. The fresh memory of how hard his lips had been against her own, the roughness of his forced touch, the flickering of fear that she couldn't stop him from taking it even further than what she was even ready for. She shuddered, wiping at her lips and willing that memory to go away as she walked over to a log stump and sat down heavily.

Just off in the distance she could hear the rolling thunder and she groaned as she looked up at the dark, cloudy sky. "Just perfect," she muttered to herself, clutching her purse with both hands as she started shivering, the air not just cold but growing damp.

It wasn't much longer that she saw the headlights approaching fast along the road and the squeal of tires had a choked gasp slipping out as her tears began to fall once more. Emma barely had the Bug in park and she was hopping out of the car and headed straight to where she was sitting.

"Oh, Regina," Emma frowned as Regina barely was able to lift her head to look up at her. Emma wore a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and had a well worn blue hoodie on. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun and she had a look of genuine concern on her face. "Come here, Regina."

Regina trembled as she let Emma pull her to her feet and she sighed the moment Emma's arms wrapped around her in a tight hug. Emma pulled back after a long moment had passed and she gently reached up to wipe away at Regina's falling tears.

"Come on, let's get you home."

"Emma?" Regina stopped and fought the urge to smile at Emma. "Thank you for coming."

"You know I'm always going to be here for you," Emma smiled at her and she led her towards the Bug. "What happened?" She asked once they were both seated inside the Bug. "Regina, what happened tonight?"

"He broke up with me."

"I got that much."

"We were on our way back from dinner in Portland and he stopped here," she said quietly, choosing to stare at a deep scratch on the dashboard in front of her. "I don't think I need to tell you what his intentions were when he stopped here. He—he tried to take things to the next step and I told him I was not ready. We started fighting…"

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, but he—"

"Regina, if he forced himself on you…I am going to kill him."

"I stopped him," she said softly, her breath hitching in her chest. "I stopped him. We started yelling at each other and he told me he couldn't be with me anymore. He called me a prude."

"Just because you wanted to wait before things got too physical?" Emma asked. "What an asshole. God, Regina, you can do _so_ much better than him. You know that, right?"

"I know that now."

Emma ran her hands over the steering wheel, silence filling the Bug, but it was comfortable silence. Outside, thunder rumbled, much closer than the last and when Emma reached out and gently squeezed her hand, silently reassuring her that everything was going to be okay, the skies opened up and the rain began to fall.

"Can you just…take me home, Emma?"

"Of course I can," she said, letting go of her hand and she shifted the gear into park quickly. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Regina asked quietly. "I don't really want to be alone right now."

"Of course," Emma smiled at her. "When we get to your place, I'll call Mary Margaret and let her know. I nearly gave her a heart attack running out of the apartment to come pick you up."

"What is she doing up so late?"

"David is working nights. She always stays up to take him something to eat around one in the morning. She was baking cookies."

"That explains why you smell so good," Regina laughed and she shook her head, wiping away at her tears as the rain began to fall harder, the sound of it hitting the Bug almost sounding like music to her.

The ride to the Mills' house was mostly quiet, save for the sound of the rain and the rhythmic squeaking of the windshield wipers. Emma pulled up in front of the house and came to a hard stop. Regina fumbled with the seatbelt while Emma quickly made the call to her mother, explaining to her that she would be staying over at Regina's for the night because she'd just been dumped. Just hearing Emma say that word had the tears springing back to Regina's eyes in an instant.

They both made a quick run for the front door, Regina nearly slipping on the front path in her heels. She fumbled with her keys to get the front door unlocked and they stumbled inside quickly, Regina spinning around to shut the door behind her. She shuddered as she leaned against the door, willing the tears not to fall any more and failing miserably.

"Hey, Regina, just forget him, okay? He is not worth your tears," Emma whispered as she rubbed her back gently. "Come on, let's go upstairs. We can talk some more up there if you want to, okay?"

"Okay."

Regina allowed Emma to take the lead, leading her up the four stairs into the dark foyer. Emma knew her house as if it were her own and she led Regina up the dark staircase and into her bedroom. She flipped on the bedside lamp and sat down on the edge of the bed, frowning as Regina just stood in the doorway clutching her purse with both hands.

Emma stood up from her bed and gently pried her purse out of her hands and placed it on her dresser, motioning for her to take off her jean jacket that was damp from the rain in the quick dash they'd made from the Bug to the front door.

"What did he do exactly, Regina?"

"I told you. He forced himself on me," she said under her breath. "He's never done it quite like that before, never been quite…as rough…"

"He's forced himself on you before?" Emma asked, anger clearly flashing in her green eyes. "You're joking, right?"

"Emma—"

"How could you let him do that to you? What did he do to you, Regina?" Emma asked and with a hard shake of her head she placed her hands on Regina's shoulders. "I am going to kill him when I see him next."

"Emma, please don't do or say anything stupid," Regina begged, not wanting to be the subject of the rumours she knew that no matter what, would be flying around long before Monday came. "Why are you so angry? Emma…"

"He put his hands on you when you clearly told him no. You told him no, didn't you?"

"Yes, but—"

"What if he didn't stop, Regina? What if—"

"But he did stop!" Regina snapped, suddenly feeling a whole host of emotions that hit her hard. "He stopped. Please, Emma, don't say or do anything stupid."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Regina, he did, and if he thinks I'm just going to let him get away with that, he has another thing coming."

Regina sighed dejectedly as she moved to sit on her bed and placed a hand over her racing heart. Seeing Emma as angry as she was had sparked that feeling she'd been denying herself to feel, to think about for weeks. She shook her head as she tried to swallow the lump that rose in her throat.

"You know, I feel so stupid," Regina sighed. "What was I even thinking? Nobody ever wants to be with someone like me. Maybe he is right, maybe I am a prude. This is so pathetic."

"No, Regina," Emma said gently as she sat next to her. "It's not pathetic."

"All I wanted was to fall in love, to experience it just once before we graduate. I don't want to go out into the world after high school and never having known what being in love feels like. I feel like that is never going to happen."

"That's not true. You'll experience it, Regina, I know you will because have you seen you?" Emma asked and Regina turned to look at her, watching the blush settle on her cheeks quickly. "I mean, you are beautiful, inside and out and if no one can see that, then they're clearly missing out on having a chance at having something so great with you, you know?"

"Emma—"

"I should have told you this weeks ago and I know the timing is completely wrong right now, but if I don't tell you now I think, no I _know_ that I'll never have the courage to tell you."

"Emma, please don't—"

"I love you," she whispered, her lower lip trembling. It wasn't the first time that Regina had heard her say those words, but it was different now. It was so very different now. "I'm in love with you."


	7. Chapter 7

"What?" Regina blinked, her heart thundering in her chest. "What did you just say to me?"

Emma stood up from the bed quickly, her hands clutching at the hem of her sweatshirt. "Regina, I'm in love with you. I'm the one who wrote that letter—"

"No, you can't," Regina said quickly as she stood up and faced her. "You can't be in love with me, Emma! We're supposed to just be friends!"

"I am!"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what? I'm just telling you how I feel about you—"

"You can't be in love with me! We're friends! We're just _friends_, Emma!"

Regina shook her head, the denial worse than ever before. She walked the few steps from the bed to the window and looked outside, watching as lightning ripped across the sky. She placed her palms on the edge of the windowsill and inhaled deeply. She couldn't look at Emma right now, she could barely even think with all the thoughts screaming at her inside of her head.

The timing was all wrong, all so wrong. She had just gone through an abrupt breakup, Graham dumping her and leaving her at the Toll Bridge in the middle of the night. Despite knowing how Emma felt about her, hearing her say the words was far different than reading them in a letter. She wasn't sure how to process everything she was feeling either, from the way Graham had left her feeling after forcing himself on her to the heavy wall of emotions she was now feeling and fighting deep inside of her.

Gathering up what little courage she had, she turned away from the window to look over at Emma. The sight of Emma with tears in her eyes, her face flushed, the look of fear lingering over her face, it nearly broke her heart into pieces. She thought back to the words she had read in the letter, to those lingering thoughts even before she knew it was Emma who had written it that maybe it was her, that maybe it really wasn't Graham and she felt a single tear roll down her cheek.

"I know you wrote that letter, Emma," she said in a hushed whisper, almost as if she was truly afraid of speaking of it even though she knew they had to. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I was so scared," Emma replied just as quietly, her eyes moving to stare at the floor as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I wanted to tell you for a while how I feel about you, but I was scared of what you'd think, scared that I'd lose my best friend because I fell in love with you. I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't. I thought—I _stupidly_ thought that writing that letter and having you come and meet me that afternoon was the only way that I could tell you."

"Why did Graham come then, Emma? Where were you?"

"I was late! I got caught up and I was on my way there and then I saw you two talking and then you two were kissing and I—"

"Left," Regina said evenly and she shook her head and threw her hands up incredulously. "I think you need to just go, Emma. I don't—I can't—I just," she shook her head again as she pointed to the bedroom door. "I need to be alone right now. What you just told me, it hurts. It hurts more than I can tell you. You need to go."

"Regina—"

"Just go away, Emma!"

Emma scoffed, backing up towards the door, her lower lip trembling, her tears falling freely down her reddened cheeks. Regina just turned her back to her, not wanting Emma to see the tears that started to fall from her own eyes. She heard the bedroom door open and then the thundering footsteps as Emma ran as fast as her feet could take her.

Regina gasped when she heard the front door slam and she clutched at her heart, willing for it to stop racing so hard, for that ache to go away, but she couldn't let go of that feeling. She couldn't fight it anymore. It hurt so much more to fight that feeling than it did to let denial take over once again.

Emma had looked so vulnerable when she uttered those words of love, admitting to her so freely, so openly that she was in love with her. Seeing her so vulnerable when she told her how scared she'd been to tell her and that was why she'd written the letter had torn her and what hurt the most was the look on Emma's face when she told her that she'd been on her way to meet her and found Graham there instead.

It hurt so much because she was so in love with Emma Swan and she had denied it for far too long. Emma wanted to be with her, Emma had written that letter professing her love, Emma was the one she was supposed to meet that day by the bleachers, not Graham. Emma had been late, just a few minutes late and Regina knew from the look in Emma's eyes when she told her that her heart surely broke into a thousand pieces when she'd seen Graham there in her place.

And now she had stupidly pushed Emma away because of all the confusion she was going through herself. She knew how she felt and she knew how deep that ran, deeper than anything she'd ever felt before and fighting it, denying it was becoming absolutely, utterly useless and unnecessary. What was she truly more afraid of? Of falling in love with her best friend or because she was afraid of what people would think about her, about them?

She had pushed Emma away and panic gripped at her. She couldn't let her just run away, not now, not when she had finally told her that she was in love with her. Regina couldn't let it just fall apart like this, she couldn't let Emma walk away believing that Regina did not feel the same way. She kicked off her heels and made a run for the door, hoping that Emma had not driven off already, unsure of how long she had stood there alone in her room, coming to terms with her feelings, her emotions, everything.

A crack of thunder rumbled loudly outside, making the house shake as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Regina flung open the door, gasping as she knew right in that very moment that the denial was going to stop. It _had_ to stop. She wasn't a coward and she had to prove that to herself in that very moment.

"Emma!" Regina yelled out when she spotted Emma standing by her Bug, her hands on the hood, her wet hair falling out of her messy bun and hanging over her lowered face as she stood there in the rain. Regina shook her head, laughing quietly as she ran out into the rain in nothing but her little black dress and stockinged feet. "Emma!"

"Regina?" Emma's head shot up as Regina ran down the front walkway and roughly pushed the front gate open. "Regina, what are you doing?"

"Emma, don't go," she pleaded, rushing around to the car and coming to a stop in front of her.

"Regina…"

Regina was breathing heavily, both of them completely soaked from the rain and she reached out for Emma's hands shakily, her tears streaming down her cheeks and she blinked through the mix of raindrops and tears as she stared at Emma's face, unsure if Emma was crying too. She shivered as the cold water soaked through her clothes and into her skin, the warmth of Emma's hands the only thing keeping her steady in that very moment.

"Do you know why it hurts so much?"

"Why?" Emma asked quietly, shivering as she stared right back at her. "Why does it hurt so much, Regina?"

Regina licked over her lips, smiling as she stepped closer to Emma. "Because, Emma, I'm in love with you too."

"You are?" Confusion filled Emma's face and Regina laughed, stepping closer to her still. She reached up and gently placed a hand on her cheek. "Did you just—you're in love with me too?"

"Yes, I am, Emma, so much. I've been…struggling to just accept it and I am so tired of denying how I feel about you. I am so in love with you that it hurts because it should've been you that day, not him. I know that now. It should've been you. I wanted it to be you."

"It can be me now," Emma smiled sweetly at her, her hands easily finding their way to come to rest on her hips. "You really feel that way, Regina?"

"I do."

"Wow, I just—" Emma laughed, shaking her head as she pulled Regina flush against her body and Regina could feel Emma's heart racing just as fast as her own. "You are?"

Regina nodded and licked over her lips, her eyes falling to glance down at Emma's for a moment before looking back into her eyes. She nodded again, her arms sliding around Emma's shoulders, the only thought on her mind in that very moment was how much she just wanted to kiss her and how good it felt to want to without telling herself not to feel that way. Regina tangled a hand in Emma's hair and pulled her in quickly for a kiss, kissing her hard in yearning.

She moaned against Emma's lips, feeling everything she'd never felt when she had kissed anyone else. She felt what she had been yearning for, that spark and she kissed Emma deeply, not holding back as they clung to one another in the pouring rain out on the street beside the beat up yellow Bug.

Yet, she was suddenly so very overwhelmed and with everything that had happened in the last handful of hours, she wasn't even sure what the hell she was doing. She pulled away from Emma with a startled gasp, blinking through the rain and her tears as she brought her fingers up to her lips. Emma looked as confused as she felt and despite admitting her feelings, she was still torn inside as to what to do, what she needed to do.

"Regina—"

"I think maybe you should go."

"Regina, first you tell me to leave, then you tell me not to leave and you tell me that you love me too and kiss me and then you tell me I should go?" Emma laughed incredulously. "Fine, okay. I'll go. I'll go because obviously—"

"I wanted it to be you," Regina insisted and she sighed, feeling a lump slide into her throat. "I do, Emma, I wanted it to be you, but right now I—I need to figure things out."

"What's there to figure out, Regina? We both feel the same way, so why can't we find a way to make this work? We both want the same thing, don't we?"

"Because it is't that easy, it _can't_ be that easy!" Regina exclaimed and she was shaking, not just from her wild emotions, but from the chill the rain gave her. "We can't just—"

"We can't just what? Decide that we can be together because we clearly feel the same way?"

"It doesn't work that way, Emma!"

"Says who?" Emma yelled at her over the driving rain, both of them now shivering uncontrollably. "You know what?" Emma's mood shifted suddenly as she fumbled with the keys to the Bug and unlocked the door. "You figure your shit out, Regina, because clearly that is exactly what you need to do right now. I know what I want, I know how I feel, and I am done fighting the denial because I can tell you one thing right now. It's not worth living like that."

"Emma—"

"It's not easy, you're right, it's not," Emma continued and she yanked open the driver's door and gripped the edge tight. "I love you and everything, as a friend and more, but you've been nothing but a selfish bitch ever since you got that letter. God, what was I even thinking? Do you even know how hard it was for me to write that?"

"Emma, please—"

"Do you even know how much it _hurt_ when you thought it could be Graham?" Emma continued and she roughly wiped at the rain and the tears on her face and pushed her wet hair back. "Do you know how much it hurt seeing you with him for the last what, six weeks now? Did you even want to be with him, Regina?"

"No!"

"Then why—you know what, don't answer that," Emma laughed bitterly. "You're just confused, lost, in denial—"

"You want to know why I was with Graham for the last six weeks, Emma?" Regina asked, stopping her from getting in the Bug. "Because he was easy, he was safe!"

"Right," Emma said incredulously. "Easy and safe, that's always the path you've chosen to take, isn't it, Regina? Easy and safe because you are too scared to stop denying how you really feel!"

"I just told you I'm in love with you too!"

"I know, but you're still struggling, you're still confused, and god," Emma groaned as she shook her head. "You need to figure things out for yourself, Regina, and until you do…until you do, maybe it's best we're not around each other."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…maybe you're right, maybe I should just go."

"Emma—"

"I'm just going to go, Regina, because right now? Right now it hurts. You were right. Being in love with you hurts and it shouldn't be like this, not when you say that you love me too."

Regina stepped back from the Bug as Emma climbed in and slammed the door shut. She wrapped her arms around her, watching Emma as she struggled with sliding the keys into the ignition. Her heart broke at the sight of Emma slamming the palms of her hands on the steering wheel hard before she turned over the engine, slipped into drive and hit the gas.

Regina stood there until the taillights disappeared around the corner and it was the loud boom of thunder that broke her out of the trance she'd fallen into. She ran up the path to the front door and once inside, the tears wracked through her body hard, her body slamming up against the door as she tried to stop the tears from coming. She was soaked to the bone from the cold, wet rain, her body protesting almost every movement as she slid down to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest tightly.

She was having one of the worst nights of her life, save for those few minutes she had kissed Emma where everything felt like it was going to be okay again, that the worst night of her life was going to turn into one of the best, but it didn't work out that way because _she_ was still stuck in the land of denial with no way out.

At least there was no _easy_ way out, because nothing in life was easy, especially not when it came to love.

Regina pulled herself up off the floor, staring down at her ruined stockings and the runs that ran up each leg. With a choked gasp, she made her way up to the bathroom and tore her soaked dress off, hanging it over the tub on the curtain rod before ridding herself of the rest of her clothes. She dropped them into the tub and grabbed her robe, sliding it on and shivering as she tried to find some sense of warmth from the chill that had soaked into her very core.

Regina walked to her bedroom slowly, rifling through her bedside drawer before pulling out the letter she had read a hundred times, if not more, over the past six weeks. She had practically memorized every last word that had been typed out and now that Emma had admitted how hard it had been to write it, she could see the struggle in every word, every line.

A soft sob escaped past her lips as she curled up on her bed on top of her duvet and she clutched the letter to her chest and closed her eyes, her tears burning hot as they fell despite her effort to make them stop.

She had been so selfish, so very selfish and she had not only hurt herself, but she'd hurt Emma too. She had never intended to hurt anyone and that letter had given her false hope of finding the one thing she'd been longing for and that was to fall in love for the first time, to experience the ups and downs of a real relationship. She had all but ruined that chance the instant she had come to the conclusion that it had been Graham that wrote that letter that day.

Regina uncurled her fingers from around the letter, the paper now crumpled into a ball between her fingertips. She blinked through her tears as she smoothed the paper out as best as she could and she carefully folded it into four before slipping it back into her bedside table.

Just for one moment, she relived the moment of their kiss, remembering how good the spark she felt between them had been, how it had filled her and made her feel complete in ways that she had never felt before. Just for one moment, she imagined what would've happened if she didn't push Emma away the way she had. Would Emma be there with her right then and there, kissing her, whispering words of love, of promises she would try so hard never to break?

It left an ache in her chest, in her heart, and she turned off the lamp on the bedside table, her temples now throbbing as a headache settled firmly into place. Emma was right about one thing. She was so very confused and still so very much in denial and she truly had to figure things out for herself. In order to do that, she had to take that first hard step to accepting just who she was.

"And who am I?" Regina murmured quietly to herself. "I am Regina Mills. I am…I am a les—"

She couldn't say it and she let out a frustrated grunt as she pulled a pillow over her face and screamed. Thunder cracked loudly outside, shaking the house and she cried into the pillow hard, her fingers clutching at it painfully until they grew numb. Suddenly, she threw off the pillow she held over her head and the cool air in the room hit her flushed face hard, sending a small shock to her system as she sat up slowly and touched over her lips once more.

"I am Regina Mills," she whispered. "I am a…lesbian and I'm in love with my best friend."


	8. Chapter 8

The early morning sunlight was what drew her from her light sleep and she groaned quietly as she stretched out on her bed and glanced over at the clock. Half past seven in the morning. Regina blinked the fogginess from her heavy-lidded eyes before rubbing at them gently and she sat up in her bed, feeling a heaviness weighing her down.

Her self-declaration had taken a lot out of her, yet she was no closer to fully accepting the words she had spoken to herself before struggling to fall asleep. It was one thing to say it, a whole other thing to embrace it, to be so sure that that was who she was. Denial had always been easier, but it had proven to make her absolutely miserable and she hated that feeling, she hated feeling like she was being shroud in a cloud of depression she just couldn't break free from.

Yawning, she slipped off the bed and headed for the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her despite her being the only one in the house. She gripped the edge of the porcelain sink and hung her head low, staring down at the faucet as she felt the tears start to well up in her eyes once more. She took a few deep breaths before lifting her head and she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked as exhausted as she felt. Her mouth was dry and she licked over her lips slowly, just faintly tasting Emma still from that kiss they shared in the rain. She let go of the edge of the sink and shakily reached for the cup, filling it with water from the tap before downing it quickly, nearly choking as the tears started to fall all over again. She slammed the glass down on the edge of the sink, the soap dish clattering and falling into the sink as the glass hit it. She blinked through her tears, picking up the dish and the bar of soap with shaky fingers and putting it back into its place.

With a shake of her head, she turned the water on and splashed a handful over her face, hanging her head over the sink for a moment before blindly reaching for the hand towel that hung from a hook on the wall to her left. She patted her face dry and dropped the towel into the sink as she just faintly heard her phone ringing in her bedroom. She dashed out of the bathroom after fumbling with the lock, growing more and more frustrated by each passing second and by the time she reached the bedroom and plucked her phone out from her purse where she had left it, it had stopped ringing.

Kathryn's name showed up when she checked who had just called and as she hit the home screen button, the voice mail message appeared. Sighing softly, she dialled into her voice mail and waited, pressing one to hear the one new message that had been left.

"Regina, hey it's me. I know it's early, but I just heard the unfortunate news that you and Graham broke up last night. Call me when you can, okay?"

Regina sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. How could Kathryn possibly even know what had happened last night? Graham didn't strike her as the type to start spreading the news that he had dumped her, but then again, he hadn't struck her as the type to turn into an asshole either. Dropping her phone to her bed, Regina walked over to the window and looked outside, her room offering a view of most of the town and the clock over the library. Her phone started to ring again and she made no hurry to walk back over to the bed to pick it up.

It wasn't Kathryn calling, it was Ruby, and she hesitantly let her finger hover over the answer button for a moment before she hit it and raised the phone to her ear. She couldn't avoid her friends because she was going through the struggle of acceptance of her sexuality. She couldn't avoid her friends because her façade of a relationship with Graham had failed and ended in the worst of ways. And she most definitely couldn't avoid her friends when she knew she needed them now more than ever.

"Hello, Ruby."

"Hey," Ruby said softly and there was a pregnant pause before Ruby cleared her throat. "I heard about you and Graham."

"You as well?" Regina rolled her eyes and sat down on her bed. "And do tell me how you and Kathryn seem to have found out about this when it only happened barely nine hours ago."

"I'm working this morning at the diner and since Kathryn stayed over last night, she came in with me to open. Graham came in not too long ago and he's pretty broken up over what happened last night, Regina."

Regina scoffed and shook her head. "What did he tell you?"

"That you two had an argument and that he stupidly broke up with you," Ruby replied quietly and Regina could just faintly hear the din of the diner in the background as the usual breakfast crowd started to come in. "He didn't say much else. He just asked us to talk to you, to tell you that he wants to apologize and for you to call him."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Regina laughed bitterly. "We didn't just have an argument, Ruby. He _forced_ himself on me and I told him no. He called me a prude and then proceeded to accuse me of being a—a lesbian because I wouldn't let him do much more than kiss me. He told me it was over and he left me, _alone_ at the Toll Bridge in the middle of the night. I had to call Emma to come and pick me up!"

"Oh," Ruby gasped quietly. "Oh, Regina—"

"Do not give me any of your pity, Ruby," Regina snapped and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "I made a mistake," she admitted after a moment. "I made a mistake agreeing to date him. I…"

She trailed off and felt her heart clench in her chest. She placed a hand over her chest and she could feel her heart racing at full tilt. Ruby was silent on the other end of the line and for a moment Regina thought the call had been dropped until she heard the unmistakable voice of Granny yelling at Ruby to get off the phone and get back to work.

"Regina?" Ruby said quietly. "Hey, look why don't we all get together this afternoon? I'm only working until one and I have a feeling you are in need for a girls day right now."

"No, I don't. I need some time…alone right now, Ruby."

"When are you going to stop being so stubborn, Regina?" Ruby asked with a soft laugh. "We love you and everything, but you can be so very stubborn sometimes, you know that?"

"Please, you don't need to remind me," Regina replied, surprised when she chuckled along with Ruby. "You should go before Granny kills you in front of half the town for ignoring her. You _are_ supposed to be working, not chatting on the phone with me."

"You were just dumped by that asshole," Ruby snapped. "I think you need a friend more right now than Granny needs me to tend to the customers."

"Ruby—"

"Once my shift is over, me and the girls will come over and we'll have a girls day okay and do not say no. You need this, Regina. We're your friends and I know, now more than ever, that being alone is the very last thing that you need. I'll see you later."

Before Regina could further protest, Ruby had hung up on her just as Granny started shouting at her once again. Regina tossed her phone on to the bed and ran her fingers through her hair roughly. There was no way she was getting out of having a girls day with her friends, especially not with Ruby insisting that they have one. Ruby Lucas was just as stubborn as she was at times. Once Ruby got an idea in her head, she didn't give up on it despite all else.

Right now what she needed was to figure things out and she knew that was not happening in the blink of an eye. Coming to terms with who she was, accepting it and moving on was the furthest thing from being easy. A part of her wanted to talk to Emma because Emma had gone through this very same thing and she had done it alone. Regina wasn't sure she could handle going through this alone, not now, not ever, and that she knew was one of the many reasons why she had chosen the path of denial far too many times to count.

But Emma had told her that it was best they not be around each other right now and Regina had to respect that. She had no idea what Emma herself was going through after last night and she couldn't even begin to imagine what she could be feeling or thinking either.

Regina had never needed her best friend more than she needed her now. The tears sprung to her eyes as she stared down at her phone and stood there for a handful of minutes, debating whether or not to call her or even text her. It wasn't as if she could talk to Ruby or Kathryn about the things she was going through, struggling through. They wouldn't understand, how could they? They weren't going through a life-changing moment of coming to terms with who they were, with their sexuality and accepting that they were in love with someone they never thought they'd fall in love with.

_I am Regina Mills. I am a lesbian and I'm in love with my best friend._

Her words from the night before began ringing loud and clear in her mind, over and over again until she crawled onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow and pulled another over her head and pressed hard against her ears, trying in vain to shut the voice in her head out.

She had long since had so many disillusions of love and longing, the disappointment ringing true once more after her façade of a relationship with Graham and then with the letter, Emma's letter and her admission that she was in love with her. To hear it fall past Emma's lips, however, had made it all too real and she had freaked, momentarily before admitting her own feelings, the denial slipping away before it gripped her once more.

Feeling the need for a long, hot shower, Regina headed for the bathroom, turning on the water in the shower and watching the steam as it filled the tub and seeped out into the room. She shrugged off her robe, letting it fall to the tiled floor before she stepped under the hot spray of water and pulled the shower curtain shut roughly.

Is this what Emma went through when she had been struggling with coming to terms of who she was? Is this what it had felt like for Emma before she just accepted it instead of taking the easy path of denial? Was it just as hard, just as painful for Emma as it was for her in that very moment, or had to been different for her?

Regina shook her head and placed her hands against the tiled wall, revelling in the feel of the hot water as it cascaded down her back and over her tense muscles, doing nothing to soothe them into relaxing much at all. She spent the better part of an hour in the shower before the water started to run cold and she had to force herself to get out, her mind weighed heavily with thoughts she had fought for so very long not to think about.

While she dressed, she tried to think back to one single moment when she realized that she had feelings for Emma, that she was in love with her, and she couldn't pinpoint it to one single moment, but one of many, the first happening just before school had let out for the summer and they had been at the Toll Bridge, partying with their friends, dancing together around the bonfire to the music that blasted from one of the cars. It had been the way that Emma just laughed and the way that Emma smiled at her. It had made her feel something stir deep in side of her, an unfamiliar yet pleasant feeling and one she was quick to deny when she realized what it was she had felt. Lust.

The second had been during their failed trip to Boston when they had ended up that small town in Vermont and were stuck there on the side of the road for the entire night. They had curled up in the back seat of Emma's Bug together, the night far colder than it should've been and she realized then how much she had loved being in Emma's arms, how safe and warm she had felt. That was what brought on more than just feelings of lust. It was the longing that she'd felt that night and it was that night she had truly started to deny her feelings for her best friend.

The third time had been on a truly random day, they were at the beach and laying side by side on the oversized beach blanket, soaking up the sun and enjoying their summer freedom together. They were talking, quite randomly, about love and relationships and what they dreamt of and what they wanted one day. It had been that shining hope in Emma's eyes, that longing that mirrored her own, that made her realize it wasn't just lust, it wasn't just a longing to feel what she had felt that night they were stranded in Vermont together or even desire, it was love.

Regina had been so quick to hide and deny her feelings, not ready to face what it truly meant. She had been living in denial for more than two months and she was just so tired of struggling with her feelings and with the confusion that came along with it. For all she knew, Emma had gone through this for far longer than she had and even then she wasn't sure. Emma had just told her that she wanted to tell her for awhile how she felt about her.

Now, more than ever, she wanted to call Emma, talk to her about all of this, but she was too scared to, especially with the train wreck of thoughts going through her mind since she had woken up. What if she did call her and Emma didn't answer or worse, told her that she didn't want to talk to her at all? Regina didn't know what to do and she fell to the floor at the foot of her bed, clutching her phone tightly to her chest as the tears started to fall for what felt like the hundredth time in less than twelve hours.

The doorbell rang, startling her. She wasn't expecting anyone, not until that afternoon at least, and she scrambled to her feet and quickly tried to dry her tears, knowing her eyes were red and puffy and even without the tears, there was no mistaking that she had been crying. She slipped her cell phone into the back pocket of her tight jeans and made her way down the stairs and to the front door as the doorbell rang for a second time.

Regina unlocked the door and without checking to see who was outside, she flung it open and her heart fell when she saw just who stood on the other side. "Graham," she said tightly as she gripped on to the edge of the door with one hand and the frame with the other. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"Regina," he sighed, frowning as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his worn leather jacket. "I came to apologize for last night. I was out of line, completely out of line and I feel like it was such an asshole move to treat you like that."

"You think so? Hmm?" Regina said, her resolve firmly in place. "It _was_ an asshole move, Graham. You not only treated me like I was some kind of an object, you forced yourself on me. You _forced_ yourself on me! How the hell can I forgive you for doing something like that?"

"I—I'm sorry, Regina, truly I am! I don't know what got into me last night—"

"Do you honestly expect me to forgive you, Graham? To act like last night never happened?"

"Regina, I never meant to hurt you, I swear to you. The last thing I ever wanted was to hurt you. I didn't mean to push, it's just that the guys were talking the other day and put it in my head that we've been together for over a month and I—you know what, it was stupid of me to even let them get to me like that."

"What, your _friends_ told you that we should be having sex by now and you went with it?"

"Regina, no that's not—"

"No, that's exactly what you are trying to tell me, that your friends got it into your head that we should've been having sex by now and you forced yourself on me when you knew, you _knew_ I wanted to take things slow! You told me you were okay with that and after last night—it was more than just your idiotic friends putting that into your head, Graham. You wanted more too and you were just tired of waiting around for me to allow it to go further, weren't you?"

"Regina, can I talk?" Graham asked and it was clear he was struggling to stay calm. "I like you, a lot, and I'm falling in love with you and if I could take back what happened last night, I would in an instant. You didn't deserve to be treated like that and I will forever apologize for doing that to you, to saying those things to you. Please, can you just try and forgive me?"

"Forgive you?" Regina asked, her voice tight. "Forgive you and what, get back together like last night never happened? Graham, you _left_ me at the Toll Bridge in the middle of the night!"

"I know, I know, it was such a dick move and I went back but you were gone and I figured that maybe you called one of your friends to come and get you. Regina," Graham said as he stepped forward and then immediately stepped back upon the warning glare to back off that Regina gave him. "I don't want to break up with you. Can't you give me another chance to prove to you that I am not the guy I was last night? You know me, you now that wasn't me, you know that I would never hurt you like that."

"It's too late, Graham," Regina said quietly. "It's too late for second chances. I can forgive you, in time and maybe one day we can be friends again, but we can't go back to what we had together. We can't."

"Why not?"

Regina inhaled shakily, her grip on the door and the frame tightening, her knuckles growing white under the strain. Tears sprang to her eyes and she wet her suddenly dry lips as she stared at Graham as he watched her intensely and waited for her to answer him. She inhaled once more, drawing up what little courage she had inside of her and she let the tears fall as she released her tight hold from the door and the frame.

"I can't because," she paused for a moment, the feeling deep inside of her building like a crescendo in a song and she let out a sharp, wet laugh, and shook her head. "Because I am in love with someone else."


	9. Chapter 9

Graham left in a stupor, stunned at her revelation of being in love with someone else. She was grateful he hadn't asked her who it was or said another word. He just nodded and backed away, stumbling down the few steps to the front walkway before heading to his car that was parked on the street. Regina's heart was racing as she shut the front door heavily and turned the lock.

The admittance of being in love without saying Emma's name hit her hard and she felt a slight panic attack brewing inside of her. She pushed herself off of the front door and headed for the study. She very rarely drank alcohol, seeing how she was underage and all, but her parents did let her indulge once in a blue moon. She knew where the key to the liquor cabinet was and she was feeling in that very moment like she needed something—anything—to calm her down.

Despite the fact that it was still early in the morning, she stalked her way across the study to where the key to the liquor cabinet was hidden on the top shelf of the bookcase under one of her father's old books. Her hands were shaking as she crossed the room to the liquor cabinet and unlocked it, her eyes scanning over the few dozen bottles neatly lined up inside. She shook her head as she placed her palms on doors, shutting it before locking it up again.

That wasn't her. She wasn't her mother who turned to alcohol when she was stressed out, upset or angry. This wasn't her at all. With a shake of her head, she replaced the key where it was kept and headed for the kitchen, her stomach growling as a reminder that she had yet to eat anything that morning.

Regina flipped on the radio once she was in the kitchen and busied herself with making fresh oatmeal, topping it off with cinnamon and sliced apples. She tried to take her mind off of everything and found it damn near impossible every time she glanced at the clock, the minutes ticking closer to the hour that Ruby, Kathryn and possibly Emma would show up to start their girls day—something they hadn't done with the four of them since before summer vacation had started and something she had truly missed.

For the next few hours, she struggled with whether or not to call Ruby or Kathryn, to cancel out on them, on finding a plausible excuse as to why they couldn't come over. They didn't know what else had transpired last night after Graham had dumped her, they didn't know what happened between her and Emma or that they had professed their love for one another and shared a kiss in the middle of a rainstorm or that Regina was struggling to come to terms with what she felt and what it all meant.

In the end, she never did make that call. Maybe it was exactly what she needed, to spend time with her closest friends and take her mind off the personal turmoil she was going through. At ten after one, the doorbell rang and she opened it, letting out a small gasp of surprise to see that Emma was there with Kathryn and Ruby, standing behind them with her hands awkwardly shoved into the back pockets of her skinny jeans.

Regina let them in the house and she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of Emma, who coincidentally was doing all she could not to meet Regina's lingering gaze. It hurt a little to see Emma fall right back into the place she had been that first week of school where she had completely avoided her at all costs. At least now, Regina fully understood why Emma had done just that and she wanted to find a way, any way to make it up to her.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kathryn asked as they followed Ruby and Emma into the kitchen. Kathryn grabbed a hold of her arm and forced her to hang back in the hallway. "Regina, seriously, are you okay? Have you been crying?" Kathryn didn't wait for her to answer, instead she threw her arms around her in a tight embrace. "We're here for you, you know that right? Today is going to be good for you, Regina. Just us girls, just like old times."

"Right," Regina said quietly, her voice distant as she gently pushed Kathryn away. "And I am fine, Kathryn. Truly."

"Graham just pulled an asshole move on you and dumped you, how can you be okay after something like that?"

"Our relationship was never that serious, Kathryn. I can't imagine you would understand. You and Frederick have been together for quite some time."

"We fight and break up all the time," Kathryn reminded her. "I know it's not the same thing, but when that happens it feels like my whole world had been shattered."

Shattered. That was exactly how Regina had felt when she watched Emma drive away. Regina struggled to maintain her composure, not wanting to shed any tears in front of her friends, least of all Kathryn because then she would never escape the hundreds of questions she would no doubt ask relentlessly, questions that Regina was struggling to find the answers to herself.

"Hey, Regina, are you sure you are okay?"

"I'm fine," she snapped and stepped past her to walk into the kitchen where she found Ruby and Emma talking quietly as they helped themselves to some fruit out of the bowl that was always on the island countertop. "Do make yourself right at home," she said with a slightly teasing smile dancing over her lips.

"Don't we always?" Ruby chuckled. "Do you have any popcorn?"

"You know where we keep the box in the pantry, Ruby, and you needn't ask. You are more than welcome to help yourself," Regina replied and she sighed heavily as she opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water for herself, two cans of Coke for Ruby and Emma and a bottle of Perrier for Kathryn.

"So," Kathryn started once the four had settled around the island counter, Ruby's attention on the microwave as she cooked a small bag of popcorn. "I, for one, want to know what exactly happened last night between you and Graham."

"And if I say I do not want to talk about it?"

"Come on, Regina," Kathryn sighed. "We're all friends here and we all care about you. The first boyfriend you've had in ages just dumped you."

"You don't need to remind me continuously that I was just dumped last night, Kathryn."

"Kat, just lay off of her, yeah?" Ruby said as she gave her a look. "Regina, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. Just know that we're here for you and when you're ready to talk about it, we'll be here to listen and offer our support."

Regina ran her fingers through her hair before taking a sip of her water. She knew they meant well and that they were only looking out for her, but she had already talked to Emma the night before about Graham. She inhaled sharply, meeting Emma's gaze for just a split second before Emma looked away, her attention focusing on the can of Coke in front of her.

"If you must know," Regina sighed, knowing Kathryn all too well. If she didn't talk about it now, the topic would be raised throughout the day and she would rather get it over with than have to face those questions for the next couple of hours. "We were on our way back from our date in Portland and he stopped at the Toll Bridge. His intentions were quite clear and he wanted to take things to the next level and I told him I was not ready. We started arguing and he forced himself on me."

"He did what?" Kathryn fumed and it was Ruby quietly calmed her down. "What did he do, Regina? Did he—"

"Groped me," she said, a bitter taste sliding into her mouth at the sheer memory of it. "When I stopped him and pushed him away, he started calling me all sorts of names after telling me that it doesn't feel like I'm even his girlfriend because I barely let him kiss me."

"What a jerk," Kathryn muttered. "I'm surprised you didn't dump his ass right then and there."

"He beat me to the punch, told me he could not be with me because I was not as into him as he thought I was. He—he called me a prude and then accused me of being…gay. I slapped him and he just left me there," Regina said with a bit of a struggle to get each of the words out, having to relive that moment inside her mind all over again. She chose purposely not to bring up the fact that she had mentioned the letter to Graham. She had already hurt Emma enough as it was. "He came by this morning to—"

"What?" Emma chose that moment to speak for the first time since they arrived at the house.

"What did he want?" Ruby asked and she hissed as she pulled the bag of popcorn out of the microwave and dropped it on to the counter. "Did he come grovelling back to you, Regina?"

"I hope you slapped him again," Kathryn added.

"He apologized," Regina sighed. "I did not accept his apology, of course."

"He deserves more than a slap," Ruby said as she opened the bag of popcorn and fisted a handful into her mouth. "He deserves a swift kick in the balls if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you," Regina snapped and she shook her head. "I am done talking about this."

"Regina, hey, we're just trying to be here for you right now, you don't need to get angry."

"I am not angry, Kathryn!" Regina exclaimed and she downed the rest of her water, slamming the empty bottle on the counter. "I just don't want to talk about this anymore. Why can't you just understand that?"

"Hey, guys, let's just drop it okay?" Emma injected, standing between Regina and Kathryn and she sighed as she turned to Regina. "What do you want to do, Regina?"

"I want to stop talking about last night and Graham, for one thing."

"Okay, okay, we'll stop," Emma said gently and she turned to face Kathryn. "You heard what you wanted to hear, Kat. Don't push the issue anymore, okay? Didn't you tell me we were coming here to cheer Regina up? Take her mind off of what happened? You're just making it worse."

"I'm sorry," Kathryn frowned and she looked over Emma's shoulder at Regina. "I'm sorry, truly I am. I was just trying to understand what had happened. Graham painted a very different story when he talked to Ruby and I earlier."

"Kathryn, seriously!" Emma yelled and she got right in Kathryn's face, causing her to take a few steps stumbling backwards. "Just leave the whole topic alone, will you? She doesn't want to talk about it so just shut up already!"

"Fine, fine!" Kathryn surrendered with her hands in the air. "I'm done!"

"Girls, come on!" Ruby said loud enough to startle the three of them. "This is not the point to a girls day and you know it! We're here not just for Regina, but because we seem to have forgotten the true meaning of our friendship." The kitchen fell into silence, save for the radio that was still playing quietly. "Do you not remember the pact we made in like the third grade? Friends until the very end? We vowed never to let anyone or anything come between us and that goes for guys too! Come on, girls, what happened to us?"

The four of them just stood back and Regina stared straight at Emma, watching her as she fiddled with her button-down plaid shirt she wore over an old faded grey t-shirt. She was the first to speak, a smile curling over her lips as she looked at each of them for a lingering moment, her eyes landing on Regina last.

"Friends until the end," she said as she raised her can of Coke.

"Wait, no," Ruby laughed and she grabbed her bag where she'd put it on the floor and pulled out a bottle of rum and grinned. "We need to do a proper toast."

"It's one-thirty in the afternoon," Kathryn protested.

"I don't do rum," Regina muttered.

"Let's do it," Emma agreed, her and Ruby exchanging a high five before they were searching the glasses cupboard for shot glasses, exchanging another high five when they found them on the top shelf. "Hey," Emma said softly to Regina as she moved to stand beside her. "Have a shot with us? Live a little?"

"Fine," she sighed, giving in far too easily and for that she suspected was because of the adorable smile Emma had given her as she asked. She turned to Ruby, watching her as she lined up the shot glasses one by one. "One shot, Ruby Lucas, and you are not talking me in to any more. You want to get wasted, by all means, just don't expect—"

"Today is now about not expecting any expectations," Ruby announced and she quickly poured four shots and slammed the almost full bottle of rum on the counter. "Today is about the four of us and remembering that above all else, we will stand by our pact. Friends until the end!"

"Friends until the end," the others echoed in unison as they picked up the very full shot glasses and toasted each other before downing the shot.

Regina coughed harshly, the white rum burning her throat as she swallowed the shot roughly and she suddenly had a can of Coke thrust into her hands by Emma who motioned for her to chase the shot quickly. Regina did so, exhaling sharply as she handed the can back over to Emma and watched her all but down the rest of what was left.

Regina had a feeling that their girls day was going to turn into a drunken mess and all she could do was thank the powers that be that her parents would be out of town until the next day.

After Ruby talked them all—including Regina—into having a second shot, they retreated to the den, Ruby and Kathryn with mixed drinks and Emma sticking to plain Coke and Regina with a fresh bottle of water, they ended up in a heated debate over what movie to watch and in the end it was Kathryn who won with her choice of Clueless, despite the four of them having watched that movie far too many times to count over the years.

Regina barely paid attention to the TV, her focus on Emma who was sitting beside her on the love-seat while Kathryn and Ruby sat on the couch nearby. Before their admissions of love, cuddling had always been their thing on days they spent watching movies together, and Regina could now fully admit that she had always loved being so close to Emma, snuggling into her as they spent hours lounging on the couch with old movies playing on the TV. She'd always thought before that the way they cuddled was just because they were such close friends, but now she knew that it had been so much more than that. Just thinking of all those times made her blush a little because she had truly loved the feel of snuggling into Emma's body, she loved the feel of Emma's arms around her and the way that they would just look at each other and giggle before falling into one another all over again.

"I'm going to get another drink," Emma said as she rose to her feet. "Do you guys want anything?"

"Can you make us another drink?" Ruby asked as she waved her nearly empty glass at her and Regina caught the way Emma rolled her eyes before taking Ruby and Kathryn's glasses from them. "Thanks, Em!"

Emma shrugged and strolled out of the den quickly and Regina looked down at her nearly empty bottle of water, muttering under her breath about needing more before she was up and following Emma into the kitchen. She walked quietly and paused just inside the doorway, watching Emma as she struggled to get the cap off the bottle of rum Ruby had brought along with her. Emma sighed loudly and slammed a palm against the counter before trying again.

"Let me," Regina said quietly, taking the bottle from her gently. "Why don't you grab the soda out of the fridge?"

Emma said nothing as she walked over to the fridge and pulled the door open. Regina struggled with the cap on the bottle and she just barely managed to twist it open by the time Emma returned with a few cans of Coke and placed them on the counter.

"Emma, can we talk?"

"I didn't come here to talk, Regina," Emma said as she opened up one can and started to pour it in the first glass. "I came here because Ruby practically begged me to come."

"Emma, we need to talk," Regina tried again and she placed a hand on her arm, stopping her from reaching for the now opened bottle of rum. "We need to talk about what happened last—"

"What, about how you told me you're in love with me too, pushed me away, ran after me, kissed me before pushing me away again?" Emma scoffed and she pulled her hand away from Regina's and grabbed the bottle roughly. "I don't want to talk about what happened last night."

"Emma, please," Regina practically begged, grabbing the bottle from her and they struggled for a second before Emma let go and Regina slammed it down on the counter. "I'm am so very confused and I'm struggling to understand what—what I'm going through right now. You did this alone, but I don't think I can. I don't just want to talk about what happened last night, I want to talk about how I—how we feel about each other."

"It's pretty obvious how we feel about each other, unless you've somehow decided to take the safe and easy route again and figured out that you aren't in love with me too."

"Emma—"

"You know what, Regina? Yes, I figured out who I am on my own because that is the only way you can do it. Alone. It's scary and new and yes, it's so very confusing, but it is all a part of this journey to self-discovery, Regina. There is only one person you need to talk to and that is yourself. Not me, not anyone else but yourself."

"Was it this hard for you?"

"Yes, it was," Emma sighed and she threaded her fingers through her hair and sighed again. "It was hard for me, one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through in my life, but you know what? Once I just accepted it and stopped denying it, there was like this, I don't know, I guess it felt like relief and then I was scared again because I wasn't ready for anyone else to know. I didn't know how anyone was going to react or what they were going to think or say. I know now how completely ridiculous that was because nobody cares that I'm gay."

She breathed in shakily and poured the rum in each glass. Regina frowned. This wasn't how this conversation was supposed to go and yet she wasn't even sure what she expected when she followed Emma into the kitchen. Yet, Emma was right. She needed to figure it out on her own. She needed to and she had, she realized, with that self-admission she'd made just before she'd fallen asleep. She'd figured it out and all she needed to do was say it aloud to someone who was not herself or that infuriating voice inside her head.

"Emma?" Regina breathed out as she moved to stand closer to her, waiting for her to screw the cap back on the bottle before taking both of her hands in her own. "I want to talk about what happened last night."

"I don't—"

"After you drove away, I—I did a lot of thinking, something I haven't allowed myself to do because I have been in denial for so long that I forgot what it was like to just let that go and just be…me. Do you know what I said to Graham this morning when he asked me why we couldn't get back together?"

"What did you say to him?" Emma asked after she'd rolled her eyes.

"I told him that I'm in love with someone else and I realize now that I should have told him that that someone else is you."

"I don't—"

"Emma, can you just shut up?" Regina laughed sharply and she shook her head, fighting off the nerves that were taking flight in her stomach. "I'm trying to come out of that closet right now."

"The closet, not that—"

"Emma!" Regina groaned and Emma just smiled, intertwining their fingers gently as they both looked down at their joined hands. "I don't even know why I am even in love with you. You're such an infuriating idiot sometimes, do you know that?"

Emma smirked and took a step closer to Regina. "But you want me to be your infuriating idiot, don't you?"

"I do, but what I'm trying to say is…I'm a lesb—"

Emma kissed her then, rendering her speechless. It took Regina five seconds for her brain to catch up to the fact that Emma was kissing her and they both smiled against one another's lips as they fell into a warm embrace. It was Regina who deepened the kiss, feeling that spark between them in every inch of her being and she didn't want to stop, she just didn't want to stop kissing Emma Swan.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a stolen moment between them, one that she wasn't sure how long it would last, but she lost herself in the deep kiss, lost herself in the feel of being in Emma's arms. She smiled against her lips as Emma's hands swept down her back and over the swell of her ass, eliciting a surprised gasp until she moved her hands up to her lower back. She moaned quietly, kissing Emma deeper, her hands sliding into her hair as their tongues danced together in a rather erotic way, one that made Regina's arousal build and swirl through her entire body.

Emma backed her up against the counter, her backside clattering against the cupboards loudly, the sound far louder than it actually was. Emma's fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt and caressed the skin along her lower back. Regina moaned and trailed a hand down Emma's side and gripped at her hip, pulling her impossibly closer to her.

Regina had never been kissed so thoroughly before and she was enjoying every second of it. She gripped at the back of Emma's neck, kissing her harder, deeper, both of them moaning as Emma slipped a thigh between Regina's legs. Regina's hips surged against her thigh as strong lustful desire coursed through her body. The hand that was caressing skin over the small of her back suddenly moved up to cup the side of her face gently and Emma pulled back, ending the kiss with a soft sigh.

Regina searched Emma's eyes, for what she wasn't sure. They were both breathing heavily and neither made the move to put any bit of space between them. Regina licked over her kiss swollen lips and inhaled sharply, wanting nothing more than to keep kissing her despite the fact that their friends were just in the other room.

Emma smiled a little before they rested their foreheads together, their bodies swaying slightly as the stolen moment between them still lingered. Regina gently rubbed over Emma's hip, her body still reacting to the kiss they had just shared and more.

"I think," Emma started softly, her thumb lightly caressing Regina's cheek, "I think that we might need to take things slow right now, Regina."

"Okay."

"And I think you were right before," she continued. "We do need to talk."

"We do."

Regina's heart was racing as Emma leaned back a little and smiled at her, and that one single smile made her heart swell and race even faster than before. Her eyes glanced down at Emma's lips, wordlessly asking for another kiss and she groaned quietly as Emma ducked her head down and captured her lips in a firm kiss. Emma's tongue teased over her lips, sending a flood of arousal through her trembling body and she clutched on to Emma tightly, once again losing herself in the feel of Emma's lips and tongue against her own.

Emma's words of taking things slow slipped away the instant that Emma's right hand swept down her side and to the back of her thigh, pulling her harder against the leg she had between hers. Regina felt a whimpered moan flutter past her own lips, her hand that was on Emma's hip instantly moving to grab her ass again, drawing out a series of soft sighs and moans from her.

The hand that had cupped her face moved away suddenly and the sound of Emma's palm hitting the counter behind her nearly made her jump, but the way that Emma leaned in to her, the way they kissed so hungrily, had Regina clinging so desperately to her in a way that if she let go, she felt she would just slip away. Wave after wave of desire and arousal fluttered through her body and she knew if they didn't stop, they'd be taking things too far too fast.

"Emma," she moaned quietly, breaking the kiss, her lips brushing lightly over Emma's as she said her name again.

"Shit," Emma sighed, unmoving from where they were. "Regina, we need to—"

Talk. Go slow. Stop. Those words swirled in her mind as she kissed Emma again, her lips desperately moving against hers, their tongues meeting halfway as if they had kissed this way hundreds of times before. She moaned again when she felt Emma's hand slide over her back and then they were moving away from the counter, their lips still devouring one another and that delicious friction of Emma's legs between her own were gone in an instant. She gripped her ass harder and it made Emma squeal as her hips surged forward sharply.

Regina felt like the room was spinning all around them, but she didn't stop kissing her, she _couldn't_ stop kissing her. Her whole body was reacting to Emma in ways she'd never felt before and it was so very new and so very exciting and she wanted more.

"Regina," Emma murmured as they eased out of the kiss slowly. "I think we really need to talk about what's happening between us before any more of…this happens."

"Yes, we do need to talk," Regina agreed and they finally stepped out of each other's embrace, both their movements hesitant. "Emma, I—"

"Can I talk first? Please?" Emma asked quietly as she leaned against the counter opposite of Regina. Upon Regina's small nod, she licked over her lips slowly. "This is new, not just for you, but for me as well. We've been friends for most of our lives, Regina, and I never imagined that one day I would end up falling in love with my best friend, with you. I have never felt this way about anyone before and as new as it is, it's terrifying at the very same time."

Regina swallowed thickly, wondering just where Emma was planning on taking their now one-sided conversation. She crossed her arms over her chest to hide her shaking hands and she watched a host of emotions cross over in Emma's eyes as the silence and the tension grew heavily between them.

"I want to be with you, more than anything," Emma continued and she pushed herself off the counter and stood in front of her, smiling as if to reassure her. "I know it's not going to be easy and I know it's probably too soon because you and Graham just broke up last night and that is why, as much as I want to be with you, Regina, we need to take a few steps back right now."

Regina frowned, not expecting things to take that turn so suddenly. "Emma, what are you saying? That you want to be with me but you can't right now?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Emma said gently, her fingers shaking slightly as she ran them through her hair. "I'm saying we need to take things slow. I want to be with you, god do I want to be with you. I don't want to push you into doing something that you're not ready for and what we just did," Emma laughed dryly and shook her head. "It got a little out of hand, didn't it?"

Regina nodded slowly and licked over her lips, watching Emma as she ran her fingers through her hair again. It had gotten out of hand because they hadn't just kissed, they were practically dry humping each other in the kitchen. She felt the blush creep over her cheeks just thinking about it and laughed at the almost shy-like smile that curled over Emma's lips as they just stared at one another.

"Regina, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied quietly. "Just," she paused and tapped the side of her head. "Processing everything at the moment." Regina dropped her hands to her sides and sighed. "Emma, I know that I just got out of a relationship and regardless of how serious it seemed to be, you know for a fact that it was based on my own denial and at first, belief that he had been the one who wrote that letter—"

"Regina, please don't talk about _him_ or the letter—"

"I think we need to, if not just to clear the air a little, Emma."

"Fine," she sighed with a frown. "By all means talk about Graham."

"That's not what I am trying to say," Regina groaned and she pitched the bridge of her nose. She could understand why Emma didn't want to even hear Graham's name or hear her tell her how she had thought at first it had been Graham who wrote the letter, but there were just a few things that she truly needed to know, to understand. "When did you write it?"

"The letter?"

"Yes, the letter, Emma."

"Beginning of the summer, well, part of it anyway."

"What do you mean by part of it?"

Emma shifted and nervously slipped her hands into her back pockets. "I wrote a few of them, always coming up with some plan to give it to you or have you find it and I always, I don't know, completely chickened out at the last minute. The more time we spent together over the summer, the more I stopped myself from giving it to you."

"Why?"

"Because it was the best summer of my life, Regina. I told you before that I was scared that it would ruin our friendship if you didn't feel the same way. I didn't want to give up the best summer of my life because—"

"You're an idiot, Emma Swan."

"What—"

"You're an idiot," Regina repeated, trying in vain not to laugh at the dumbfounded look on Emma's face as she stepped forward, closing the gap between them and she wrapped her arms loosely around Emma's neck. "But I want you to be _my_ idiot, Emma."

"I—what?"

"I am asking if you'll be my girlfriend since you are obviously chickening out on asking me first."

Emma's eyes went wide for a moment before she started chuckling, quietly at first until she burst out into laugher and wrapped her arms tightly around Regina, spinning her around as their lips met in a passionate kiss. As she slowed the spin, Emma kissed her harder, deeper and the butterflies in Regina's stomach took flight again, not in a nervous way this time around, but in anticipation, in excitement because from that very moment on, she knew that there would be hundreds more kisses just like that.

Everything about that kiss felt perfect, felt right. It felt like that was exactly what they should've been doing from the day Emma had finally given her the letter, like it should've been her right from the very start.

Regina chose not to think about anything beyond this stolen moment because she would have more than enough time later to think about what would come next. She ignored the pressing thoughts of how she was going to tell her parents, especially her mother. She ignored the concerns she had of how their relationship would be received, not just with their families, but with their friends and other people at school and around town. She ignored the nagging voice in the back of her head that reminded her she had a reputation to uphold because of her father being the mayor of Storybrooke, and she most definitely ignored the startled gasp she just faintly heard coming from the kitchen doorway.

"Holy shit!" Ruby squealed, effectively causing Emma and Regina to fling themselves apart at once. "What the hell?"

"Ruby—"

"Are you freaking kidding me right now?"

"Ruby—" Emma tried again and Ruby shook her head no, cutting her off as she pointed a finger at her and then over at Regina.

"What are you doing?" Ruby demanded, eyes wide. "Are you two sleeping together?"

"I can assure you that we are _not_ sleeping together," Regina said as calmly as she could, wiping at her mouth casually, knowing her face was just as red as Emma's was. Ruby just stayed where she was standing in the kitchen doorway, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"But you're kissing in the kitchen," Ruby said as her gaze flicked between her and Emma. "Why are you kissing each other?"

"Rubes," Emma sighed and she ran her fingers through her hair. "Look—"

"What the hell is going on?" Ruby demanded, her voice rising with every syllable. She looked over at Emma pointedly. "Well? What the hell is going on?"

"Ruby, can we just talk to you right now?"

"We? So it's _we_ now?"

"Honestly, would you just shut up, Ruby!" Regina snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest to hide her shaking hands. Tears sprung to her eyes as Kathryn chose that very moment to walk into the kitchen, likely to see what they were yelling about. "Oh god, I can't do this."

"What's going on?" Kathryn asked, pausing to take in the tension that filled the kitchen. "Guys?"

"They were kissing."

"Ruby!" Emma groaned quietly. "Can we just…not do this right now?"

"No, oh no, we are doing this right now because neither of you have told me what the hell is going on between you two!"

"What? They were kissing? _Each other_?" Kathryn blinked in confusion. "Really?"

"Look, guys, I don't know what to say to you about what is going on, but have you stopped and thought about how maybe Regina doesn't want to talk about this? That maybe she's not quite ready to talk about this?" Emma asked and she shook her head. "Look, we're all friends here and you know we would never keep anything a secret from either of you, right?"

"Oh, so it's a secret?" Ruby scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"No! I don't know!" Emma exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air as she turned to look over at Regina. "It's not like we've talked about this," she said quietly, her words directed at Regina and not their friends standing a few feet away. She offered Regina a small smile before taking that one single step closer to her. "I don't know what's going on between us. Is this a secret?"

"We need to talk," Regina replied just as quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can't do this in front of them."

"No, we can't," Emma agreed and she inhaled deeply before turning to face Ruby and Kathryn. She shrugged her shoulders a little and awkwardly shoved her hands into the back pockets of her tight jeans. "Look, I know you want to know what's going on and right now all I can tell you is that that is something Regina and I need to talk about right now."

"So, there's something to talk about?" Ruby asked in surprise. "Are you two…"

"It's new, like it _literally_ just happened!"

"What just happened?" Kathryn asked, still as confused as ever. "I think I need another drink."

"Regina, are you…" Ruby trailed off as she waved a hand between her and Emma. She laughed sharply and shook her head. "Does this mean you're gay too?"

"I've been…so very confused for quite some time," Regina admitted after a few heavy minutes of silence between the four of them. "But I know what I feel and I'm—I'm ready to stop denying it. I'm just—I don't think I'm quite there yet to…admit it to anyone else."

"Admit what?" Kathryn and Ruby asked in unison.

"You two know how Emma feels about me," Regina said and she inhaled sharply. "I'm in love with her too."

"Holy shit!" Ruby yelped and she groaned as Kathryn chose that very moment to not only grab the bottle of rum, but Ruby's arm and she all but dragged her out of the kitchen without a word.

Emma moved to slouch down against the island countertop and buried her face into her hands. Regina stood unmoving, rooted to the spot as she watched Emma carefully. She herself could not believe what had just happened, feeling so very embarrassed and not because their friends knew about them, but because they had been caught kissing in the kitchen by Ruby.

"I'm sorry, Regina," she sighed as she lifted her head away from her hands.

"What for?"

"For them finding out about us, I mean we—"

"They are our closest friends, Emma, it's fine. They were bound to find out sooner or later and I would have rather had them find out from us than from someone else."

Emma cocked her head to the side, leaning her chin against her hand smiled at her. "I'm kind of really proud of you, Regina."

"What for?"

"For taking this all a lot better than I thought you would."

"This was just Ruby and Kathryn," Regina sighed. "We've all been friends for a very long time. With them, I fear, it will be easier than it will be to face my parents and others."

"Hey," Emma said gently as she reached out and cupped Regina's face gently just as Regina stepped closer to her. "One step at a time, okay? I know you weren't exactly ready for this to happen today, but it happened and you handled it perfectly."

"Did I?"

Emma nodded, smiling as she leaned in for a soft, lingering kiss. They pulled back after a moment and Emma laughed, shaking her head and kissing her again, the kiss lingering longer than the last. When they parted, Emma exhaled softly and lightly ran her fingers through Regina's hair as they stared deeply into one another's eyes.

"You did," Emma smiled. "And I never did answer your question because apparently I'm an idiot," she laughed and kissed her again. "The answer is yes. Yes, I'll be your girlfriend, Regina."

"You will?"

"As long as you'll be mine?" Emma grinned and they both laughed for a moment before meeting halfway for yet another kiss. "Is that a yes?" Emma asked, suddenly reeling back.

"Yes, you idiot, it's a yes."

"Regina?" Emma's voice was all seriousness all of a sudden as they just stood there with their arms wrapped tightly around one another. "What happens now?"

"I'm pretty sure you're supposed to kiss me."

"I mean," Emma groaned and even Regina could feel the tension in her body in that moment. "I mean with us, Regina. Is it a secret?"

"Can it be, just for now?" Regina asked and Emma nodded. "I'm just—I'm not ready for anyone else to know. I am not ashamed of you—"

"I know you're not."

"But I only just came out of that closet—"

"The closet, Regina," Emma chuckled and Regina shot her a pointed look. "Sorry. I'll shut up."

"I don't want my parents or anyone else finding out until I am ready and I cannot tell you when that will be, Emma. I'm still…coming to terms with all of this and it's been so hard already. But if I can promise you anything right now, I can promise you that I will never deny to myself or anyone else just how I feel about you ever again."

"And we're going to take this slow," Emma reminded her.

"Of course. Slow."

Emma smiled at her and Regina felt a little weak in the knees. Not just because of the way Emma so openly looked at her now or the way she smiled like she was in love, because she was, but because all of a sudden everything from the moment she had walked into the kitchen earlier, even since the very moment she had ran after Emma in the rain the night before, had suddenly just hit her.

It was happening and it was real. It was so very, very real…


	11. Chapter 11

The den was quiet when they joined their friends in there after delaying the inevitable for as long as they possibly could. While Emma was feeling confident, Regina's own confidence was wavering and she allowed herself to be led into the den, not letting go of Emma's hand as they sat down on the love-seat together. She tucked her legs under her as she sat next to Emma and she felt the blush on her cheeks when she realized they were immediately under the full and undivided attention of Ruby and Kathryn.

Of course there were questions, ones that neither Regina or Emma were too sure how to answer just yet, but Emma took the reins and tried to answer the questions they were being asked. Regina felt like she was being cross-examined and every time she tried to pull her hand out of Emma's, Emma would give her a little squeeze and a small shake of her head. Kathryn was asking most of the questions after a while, some a little too personal and egged on by the rum she and Ruby had been drinking.

When the questions turned to Regina, she found it rather hard to speak as openly as Emma could, and while it wasn't easy to talk about all those many months of denial she'd just gone through, she managed to talk about it a little more as the afternoon dragged out. The more comfortable to grew talking about her struggle, the more it felt like there was a huge weight that was being lifted from her shoulders, like it was no longer her own burden to take. Ruby and Kathryn were open and accepting, much as they had been when Emma told them she was gay. Although Regina had refused before to put herself under any sort of a label, she realized that it did not matter in the end because she was who she was and there was no going back now.

Regina could not stop blushing, it becoming a permanent fixture as the afternoon waned on. After the heavier conversation turned into friendly, playful banter, she started to relax and enjoyed the time they were having together as friends. She had missed that, just hanging out, laughing and joking around, she had missed it more than she had realized.

By four in the afternoon, Kathryn was picked up by Frederick but only after she complained about how incredibly needy he was at times. Ruby left shortly afterwards but only after making Emma promise her that she'd call her later that night. As soon as the front door had shut behind Ruby, Regina felt a tad bit nervous as they were alone in the house together, so very alone. Emma said not a word as she led her back into the den and they easily settled down on the love-seat together. After barely a minute of just staring at one another, Regina pulled her in for a lingering kiss.

"I've been waiting for hours to kiss you again," Regina murmured against Emma's lips. She smiled and moved to straddle her legs, her body moving on its own accord and she lowered herself down on top of Emma's thighs and ran her hands up her toned arms. "I've grown terribly addicted to kissing you."

"Is that right?" Emma asked, biting her lower lip coyly as she ran her hands up Regina's thighs and came to rest on her hips. "Addicted?" Upon Regina's nod, she chuckled. "To me?"

"Yes," she grinned. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Maybe."

"You're impossible, Emma Swan."

Emma chuckled as her thumbs stroked over her hips, the tips of her fingers easily sliding under the hem of her shirt and glided along her skin lightly. As their lips met in a languid kiss, Emma moaned quietly against Regina's lips before teasing her tongue over her bottom lip. Regina sighed contently, kissing her deeper, the pace slow yet they were both kissing with hungry, wanton desire.

Regina gasped as Emma broke away from her lips and trailed her own down her jaw and along her neck. Her tongue slipped out to lick over her pulse point before she gently sucked on the skin, causing Regina to slip her hands into Emma's hair and she moaned when Emma sucked harder, her whole body reacting to every little touch, every little kiss. She felt Emma smile against her now tender flesh before trailing over her neck with hot, open mouthed kisses. Regina gripped at the back of her head, pulling her back up to her lips and they kissed deeply, passionately and broke apart a moment later, gasping for breath.

In just a handful of hours, Regina had kissed Emma more than any of the guys she had dated in the past—and it wasn't many by all accounts. In just those handful of hours, she had never felt more aroused than she did just from kissing Emma and if she hadn't seen that same look of longing and desire she saw in Emma's eyes, she might've almost been embarrassed at the way her body was reacting to every little kiss and every little touch.

With Emma, it wasn't like it was with anyone else. She didn't feel the need to stop her every time she leaned in for a kiss. She wanted her to kiss her, she wanted to feel Emma's hands on her body, on her skin, to feel that light caress of her fingertips that sent shivers down her spine.

Regina smiled and gently threaded her fingers through Emma's hair, their eyes locked in an intense gaze. Emma smiled right back up at her, her hands not straying from where they now laid against the small of her back, her fingertips just lightly grazing over her skin. Regina gently traced her fingers over the stiff muscles in the back of Emma's neck and shoulders and before she could ask her if she was comfortable kissing her with her neck craned the way it was, Emma was shifting on the couch and her hands slid down to grab at her ass suddenly, eliciting a surprised gasp past Regina's kiss swollen lips.

Regina, unsure of what was happening, grabbed on to Emma's toned shoulders as Emma moved to lay down on the couch and pulling her down with her. They were kissing before Emma's head even hit the cushion. With every minute that passed and the longer they kissed, Regina felt herself relax and she let the full weight of her body rest on top of Emma's and moaned quietly as Emma's hands swept the length of her back and grasped at her ass a little rougher than before.

Just as it had gotten out of hand in the kitchen, it quickly got out of hand on the couch. Regina barely realized she had slipped a thigh between Emma's until she started rocking against her and felt Emma's strong thigh press hard up into her core. She suddenly realized that it did not matter that they were both unexperienced when it came to being with another girl, but that their bodies seemed to take control, knowing exactly what they wanted and what felt good. Regina could barely stop and think straight when Emma's hands slipped under the hem of her shirt and her short, smooth nails raked along her lower back.

"Is this okay?" Emma breathed as they broke apart from the kiss. "Regina?"

"Yes," she sighed softly. "I thought we were going to take things slow?"

"We're just kissing," Emma replied. "Aren't we?"

"Yes."

"I meant it, Regina," she whispered. "About taking it slow, about not pushing you to take things further until you're ready. Tell me if it's too much, okay?"

"I know, Emma," she smiled down at her. "It's not too much. It feels…really, really good."

They smiled once more as their lips met in an unhurried kiss. Their bodies moved together, hips thrusting and rolling against strong, insistent thighs and Regina's breath came in sharp, short, swift gasps as she felt a rolling wave of arousal course its way through her body. She knew they needed to stop, to slow down, but she had never been more turned on in her life and her body was seeking out that sweet sensual relief that came in the form of an orgasm—something of which she was so ashamed to admit even to herself that she had never experienced before.

Their breathy gasps and moans and sighs filled the den and despite their earlier intentions of going slow, they were going full tilt with no signs of stopping. Hands started to wander, Regina not as bold as Emma and opted on grasping the back of her thigh and they writhed in almost perfect synchrony. Regina broke away from their deep kiss, her lips moving to Emma's neck as her body slid down Emma's slowly and it created a host of new sensations that tickled and caressed every inch of her body.

If she wasn't already addicted to kissing Emma Swan, the taste of her skin was just as intoxicating. Regina licked and nipped and sucked at her neck just over her pulse point, paying special attention to the reactions she drew out from Emma. She was getting in over her head and she knew it, yet she just couldn't seem to stop. She grinned against Emma's neck, nipping at the soft, warm skin before trailing her lips back up to Emma's and kissed her again.

Somehow in their lustful haze, Emma had flipped them over with ease on the couch and they were grinding harder against one another. All the warning bells went off in Regina's head, but she just gripped tightly on to the back of Emma's shirt and rolled her hips harder, gasping as she felt a gush of wetness coat her panties as Emma's fingers dug into the back of her thigh, holding her impossibly closer.

"Shit," Emma groaned as her phone started ringing, but Regina, lost in the moment and in Emma, pulled her in for more, not wanting to stop, not when she felt so close to the edge than ever before. "Regina—"

"Don't stop."

"Regina, we have to stop," Emma groaned in protest as she pulled back from her lips forcefully.

Regina sighed as Emma took a moment to stare into her eyes before planting a soft kiss on her lips and she scrambled to get off of her and the couch at the same time. Even though her phone had stopped ringing, by the time she straightened out her shirt it started ringing again and she plucked the phone off the coffee table, her eyes widening as she looked down at the screen.

"It's Mary Margaret," Emma said in a rushed and she fumbled to answer the call, breathing heavily as she raised the phone to her ear. "Hey, no, I'm still at Regina's place…"

Regina stayed right where she was laying on the couch, unable to move, her heart racing, her skin flushed and body just aching for more. While Emma paced and talked to her mother, it being clear she was trying to desperately get her breathing under control, Regina stretched out on the love-seat slowly, not missing Emma's appreciative stare as she looked back at her, stopping mid-step, mid-sentence before she was fumbling for coherent words.

"I'll be home in an hour, Mary Margaret. Yes, I know. I'll be home in an hour," Emma said in a rush and she hung up her phone and groaned quietly. "My mother has the worst timing in the world."

"Perhaps it was for the better," Regina murmured under her breath as she sat up slowly and ran her palms over her jean-clad thighs slowly. "We were going rather fast."

"Shit, yeah, you're right. We got out of hand," Emma readily agreed. "Again. I'm sorry—"

"Do not apologize, Emma," Regina said as she rose to her feet, finding her legs a little unsteady and she laughed as Emma caught her before she could stumble backwards. "I quite enjoyed that, making out with you."

"Yeah?"

Regina laughed and nodded her head. "I did, yes, and you, Emma Swan, are completely adorable when you're—"

"Happy?"

"I was going to go for the other word that starts with H, but yes, that too."

"Regina!" Emma laughed spinning around with her in her arms until she sat down on the couch and pulled Regina down until she sat sideways on her lap. "Are you telling me, that after all these years that I've known you, that you have this naughty side I am not aware of?"

"I truly have no idea what you are talking about."

They giggled as they met for a light kiss, one that went from zero to sixty in seconds. They slipped down on to the couch but their position was not as intimate as it had been before they'd been rudely interrupted by Emma's mother calling. For the better part of the next hour, they lounged on the couch and kissed, but they didn't push the boundaries as they had before that phone call and Regina knew that Emma was trying to take the reins again, to take things slow.

As the hour drew to a close, they both found it impossible to stop kissing and Regina walked Emma to the door, kissing her for a solid five and a half minutes before Emma's phone started ringing again, Mary Margaret calling once again because she was just a few minutes late for dinner. Emma promised Regina she'd come back later, if she wanted her to and Regina smiled and watched her skip down the front walkway to where she'd parked her Bug on the street.

She didn't close the door until Emma had driven away and she slammed it shut, gasping as her back hit the door and her hand clenched at her chest. "Oh my god," Regina groaned as she pushed herself off the door and headed up the few steps into the foyer. When she caught sight of herself in the mirror, she laughed. "Oh god, Regina, you're in trouble."

In trouble because she had not only fallen in love with her best friend, not only admitted her feelings for her the night before and finally came to terms about her own sexuality, they were together, in a relationship and had just spent hours making out in the den. Not only was she in love with her best friend, she had grown impossibly addicted to her, to kissing her, to feeling her pressed up so close to her, to the feel of her hands upon her skin.

Oh, she was in trouble all right, because taking things slow would be the ultimate test, not just for them as a couple, but for her as well because never had she ever been so overwhelmed with longing, with need, with lust that consumed her completely.

She was definitely in trouble.

* * *

Regina paced the kitchen floor, watching the clock without meaning to. She had made herself a garden salad for dinner, not in the mood to cook anything. Emma had left almost two hours before and she had not received a single text or phone call her in that time. She didn't want to seem clingy and she had debated for the last forty-five minutes whether or not to send her a text, but had up until that moment decided against it. She quickly typed up a text, her fingers hovering slightly over the send button. She knew she was acting ridiculous. Emma was home and having dinner with her parents and had obviously got caught up. With a shake of her head she hit the send and stared at her text on the screen.

**_Hey, are you coming back over tonight?_**

Regina dropped her phone on the island counter and grabbed the iPod off the docking station and scrolled through the many playlists until she found one that was full of upbeat songs that would definitely lighten her quickly darkening mood. With her being all alone in the house, it was hard to avoid the thoughts in her head completely and while she was so far past taking the path of denial now, she had a lot more questions barreling through her mind, questions not even the music could drown out as she cranked the volume right up.

Ed Sheeran's Sing came on the playlist and Regina hummed along, quickly finding herself dancing around the kitchen as the music blared. While it wasn't her usual style of music, she only had his albums on her iPod because Emma had insisted over the summer. She scoffed in spite of herself, starting to slowly pick up on all the little things that always came right back to Emma Swan, little things she never noticed or failed to while she'd drowned in denial.

She spent the next nearly ten minutes dancing along to the music until she just faintly heard her cell phone ringtone. She clamoured to turn off the loud music and grabbed her phone, answering it just before it went to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Emma said softly over the phone, her voice filling Regina with a warmth that felt so much like it had felt when they had been making out on the couch earlier. "You busy?"

"No, uh, I'm not," Regina stammered. "Why?"

"Sounds like you were having a dance party for one just a minute ago."

"What?" Regina asked and she yelped when she heard a tap on the back door. She spun around and shook her head, fighting the grin when she saw Emma peering in with an adorable smile curled over her lips. "Emma, don't ever do that again!"

"You gonna let me in or would you just rather I stand out here in the cold and talk to you on the phone or would you rather I just leave, because I can do any of those things."

Regina rolled her eyes and hung up the phone and she swallowed the sudden pit of nervousness that suddenly settled inside of her. She placed her phone on the counter before walking over to the back door and unlocked it. Emma breezed in, bringing in the chill of the mid-October night with her. Regina shut the door, locking it slowly and turned to Emma jumping slightly in an attempt to warm up.

"Just how long were you outside?"

"I walked," Emma shrugged, pulling off her red leather jacket and draped it over the back of the chair by the small table. "Bug wouldn't start," she shrugged again. "And I was outside long enough to see you've been holding back on me."

"Excuse me?"

"Your moves," Emma chuckled as she grabbed a hold of Regina's hips and started swaying despite there being no music. She leaned in, her lips brushing over Regina's ear. "You are so incredibly sexy, Regina."

"Am I?" Regina asked, surprised at the rather husky tone her voice had suddenly taken.

"Oh yeah," Emma chuckled, leaning in for a kiss, keeping it so soft and chaste. "Very sexy."

Regina slid a hand around the back of her neck, pulling her in for another kiss just because she could. The very thought that she could kiss Emma any time she simply desired had her melting into her girlfriend—her _girlfriend_!—and she relished in the feel of Emma's arms around her, holding her tightly in her strong arms.

"You're freezing," Regina murmured as she ran a hand up Emma's arm, stopping as she reached the sleeve of her t-shirt. "Did you really walk here?"

"It's like a ten minute walk."

"Mmm," Regina smiled as their bodies swayed together still until she realized they weren't just standing in one spot but that Emma was backing her up towards the kitchen doorway and towards the hallway. "Emma?"

There was nothing tentative about the kiss that Emma delivered in that moment and Regina lost herself once more, only coming to her senses when Emma backed her up against the wall and the picture frames that hung nearby clattered all too loudly upon the forceful impact. With heady desire, Regina grasped on to Emma's wrist of the hand that gripped at her hip and she guided it roughly to her right breast, both moaning as Emma's palm cupped her hard.

Those warning signs flashed in her mind again but she just wanted that one single moment, because it felt too good, because it felt too right. Never mind the fact they were moving too quickly, never mind the fact that this was pushing her own personal boundaries. She wanted it, she needed it and it was driving her completely insane with desire, with longing.

It was Emma who stopped first, her hand dropping away from Regina's breast and she exhaled shakily as she rest her forehead against Regina's with a sigh. For a moment, Regina feared that she was about to be rejected or have Emma tell her that coming back had been a mistake, but instead Emma just kissed her softly before stepping back.

"Why don't we go watch a couple of movies or something?"

"You want to—"

"Upstairs," Emma said as she hooked a thumb over her shoulder towards the staircase. "If you want to, I mean. We could always go into the den."

It was the words she didn't say that spoke volumes to her and she nodded, licking over her lips as she reached out for Emma's hand and led her towards the stairs.

She was definitely in trouble, all right…


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for your reviews/faves/follows! It is much appreciated! As you have noticed, I've been updating every day and plan to do just that until the very last chapter as I've already finished writing the story. Give a little love, get a little back ;) Enjoy!**

* * *

For the next two weeks, Regina spent a lot of her free time with Emma, but not in an overly obvious way. They had always been inseparable and the fact that after six weeks of her stint of dating Graham that they were suddenly right back to the way things had been hadn't been something anyone, not her parents, not Emma's or their friends outside of Ruby and Kathryn questioned. Unlike the first weekend they spent together, the second one was spent apart with Regina having gone to Boston with her parents for a charity function.

While things had gotten out of hand over that first weekend, they had taken a giant step back after Saturday night. They'd practically rounded third base, as Emma had so eloquently put it, and it had been too far, too fast for either of them despite the fact that they both craved more. Regina found her relationship with Emma was far different than any of those in the past and she knew why now that she never let the guys she dated do anything more than just kiss her. It was a woman's touch she craved, a woman's body and it wasn't just any woman. It was Emma.

Thursday morning, Emma's eighteenth birthday, Regina left the house almost an hour early, ignoring her mother's curious questions about where she was going off to so early in the morning. She stopped by Game of Thorns, grateful that she'd talked Belle French into coming in before school so she could pick up her order.

"It's a beautiful arrangement," Belle smiled as Regina pulled out her wallet from her purse and pulled out a few bills. "Are these for your mother, Regina?"

"No," she said evenly, not willing to talk to the girl since they were in two very different social circles. "Keep the change, Ms. French, and thank you once again for doing me a favour."

"It's not exactly a favour if you've paid me," Belle muttered, placing the bills into the register and slammed it shut. "Have a nice day, Regina."

Regina flashed a tight smile and carried the arrangement of flowers, all different types and colours and already placed in a glass vase. She wasn't sure how Emma would react to getting flowers on her birthday, but Regina hoped it would at least make her smile. Her gift was already neatly wrapped in a box she had in the trunk of her car and she had hoped to have the time to give it to her alone before they headed to school.

The drive to the Nolan apartment was a quick one and she parked beside Emma's Bug and smiled at Sheriff Nolan as he walked over to his truck and got in, heading off to start the day down at the station, no doubt. After doing a once-over in the review mirror, her makeup and hair as perfect as always, she grabbed the flowers and headed to the back door and climbed up the stairs to the second floor. She suddenly felt nervous and she wasn't sure why since she had been there hundreds of times before. She raised a hand and knocked tentatively and waited.

"Regina?" Mary Margaret said in surprise when she opened the door. "Good morning," she smiled and motioned for her to come in. "What a lovely bouquet. Are those for Emma?"

"Yes, I thought I'd surprise her for her birthday," Regina replied quietly and she placed the vase down on the table. "Is she awake yet?"

"You know her," Mary Margaret chuckled quietly. "She never gets up until she absolutely has to. You can go up and wake her, but I warn you, she'll be quite grumpy."

"I can handle grumpy Emma," Regina chuckled and she tried to remain calm and not at all as nervous as she felt conversing with Emma's mother like she hadn't just spent the last two weeks making out with her daughter every chance they got alone.

Regina walked towards the stairs that led up to the loft and walked up slowly. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she had no idea why she was so nervous. She was just waking up her girlfriend on her birthday so she could take her out for breakfast and give her her gift before school. There was absolutely no reason for her to be nervous and she knew it, yet she couldn't quite stop the butterflies from taking flight in her stomach as she parted the soft sheets that acted as walls and doors of the loft where Emma's bedroom was.

Regina bit her bottom lip as she took in the sight of Emma on her bed, curled up in a mess of blankets and sound asleep. Even though she had seen Emma sleep many times before, the last being when she'd woken up before her on Sunday and ended up waking her with a series of soft kisses that had quickly escalated into so much more, she just couldn't get over just how beautiful she truly was. She wanted nothing more than to wake her up like that again, but it was a risk with Emma's mother just downstairs.

Instead she opted on placing a hand on Emma's bare shoulder and gently shook her. She didn't lift her hand as she lightly caressed over the soft, warm skin and when Emma barely stirred, she knelt on the edge of the bed and leaned forward, pressing her lips to her forehead firmly. Within a blink of an eye and in a move that Regina had not expected, Emma pulled her down on to the bed and had flipped her on her back while she straddled her, both of them becoming impossibly tangled in the blankets.

"Good morning," Regina smiled up at her. "Happy birthday, baby."

Emma answered her only with a kiss, one that was soft and lingered just for a moment before she laid next to her and stretched out. Regina stared at her and her libido started to betray her as she drank in the sight of Emma wearing nothing more than a flimsy white tank top and red panties. She licked over her lips and scrambled to get off the bed and she smoothed out her grey wool coat nervously.

"Hey," Emma said, her voice thick with sleep. "What's wrong, Regina?"

"I only just came to wake up you," she replied quickly, diverting her eyes away from Emma's half naked body. "I wanted to take you out for breakfast this morning, you know, for your birthday."

"Yeah?" Emma said and Regina nodded, glancing over at her as the mattress squeaked as Emma slid off. Regina struggled with her resolve, wanting nothing more than to kiss her, to put her hands all over Emma's body. They couldn't do that there and they most definitely didn't have time for that either. "Regina?"

"Hmm?"

"Relax," Emma purred as she wrapped her arms around her. "Mary Margaret won't come up. She has no reason to," she whispered, her lips just ghosting over Regina's before closing the gap and kissed her. She kept it short yet sweet and pulled back with a smile. "Thanks, you know, for coming over this morning."

"It's your birthday," Regina countered, smiling right back as she watched Emma grab some clean clothes and her robe that hung off a hook on the wardrobe. "Now, hurry up and get ready."

"Bossy this morning, are you?"

"I'm not—"

"Give me ten minutes to shower. You can wait up here or wait downstairs, it's up to you."

Regina said nothing as she watched Emma slip out of the loft and headed downstairs. She could hear her and her mother conversing, Mary Margaret practically singing happy birthday to her as Emma laughed. Regina unbuttoned her coat and after straightening out the blankets on Emma's bed, she sat down. She had spent most of her childhood there in that very room, having sleepovers with Emma, Ruby and Kathryn there. She knew this room as well as she knew her own and despite the mismatched furniture, it had a cosy, homey feel to it. It was smaller than her own room, but the high ceilings and skylights made it feel bigger.

Regina stood up and started pacing after a few minutes and the click of her knee high boots she wore over her leggings clacked rhythmically against the wood floor. She paused when she spotted the collage of pictures along one side of the wood wardrobe. They weren't just from over the summer, but from over the years and she felt herself smiling as she looked at some of the pictures from when they had been very young. Like her own collage of pictures, majority of them were of just her and Emma.

It was almost as if they had been together their whole lives with the way they looked at one another in some of the pictures. It made her wonder if they were always meant to be, it would explain how they had spent most of their lives completely inseparable even when they were so very different in many ways. She backed away from the wardrobe and banged into the bedside table where the drawer was partially open. She was about to shut it when something caught her eye and she lifted the small silver object shaped as a bullet out of the drawer. When her finger clicked the button and it started to vibrate, she flushed deeply and struggled to turn it off and tossed it back into the drawer.

"What are you doing?" Emma's soft voice nearly made her jump and she spun around to face her, her face still deeply flushed. "Regina?"

"Nothing, I was just waiting for you," she said in a rush. Emma raised an eyebrow as she towelled her wet hair. "Are you just about ready to go, Emma?"

"What's up with you?"

"What do you mean?" Regina asked, hiding her nervously fidgeting hands in the front pockets of her coat. "I was just waiting for you to finish getting ready."

"You were totally snooping!" Emma laughed and she cocked her head to the side. "What did you find, Regina?"

"I, uh—"

Emma rolled her eyes and stepped past her and pulled the drawer open. She chuckled lowly as she pulled the silver bullet out and smirked. "This?"

"I have no idea what—"

"You've never seen one of these?" Emma asked, her voice dangerously low and sensual. "Do you know what this is, Regina?"

"Should I know what it is?"

"Can I show you?" Emma asked, her confidence not wavering for a second. "Regina?"

"Sh—show me?" Her eyes went wide as Emma clicked the button and the bullet came buzzing to life. "I don't—what are you implying, Emma?"

"Just a brief demonstration," she murmured, grasping Regina's hip with her free hand. Their lips met in a slow yet hungry kiss and Regina nearly jumped away from Emma when she felt her press the tip just between her legs. As quickly as it had touched her, it was gone and Emma

pulled back from her lips, a salacious smirk slipping out as she clicked it off. "You can uh, borrow it if you want?"

"Borrow it?" Regina gasped, wetting her lips lightly as she looked down at it. "I uh…"

"Girls?" Mary Margaret called out, her voice dangerously close. Emma's eyes went wide as she all but dropped it into Regina's right coat pocket. Regina quickly wiped at her lips and was about to pull the small vibrator out of her pocket to give it back to Emma when Mary Margaret entered the room. "If you girls are going to Granny's for breakfast, I'd love to join you two."

"Uh, are we?" Emma asked as she walked over to her dresser and picked up a comb. Upon Regina's slight nod, Emma turned to her mother and smiled. "Sure, you can join us. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Great, I'll meet you two there. I'll save us a booth," Mary Margaret smiled and she walked over to Emma and hugged her tightly. "Happy birthday, sweetie. I cannot believe you're eighteen years old already."

"Mary Margaret—"

"Did you ask her?" Mary Margaret said as she turned to look at Regina. "Would you like to come over for dinner tonight? I thought it'd be nice if one of Emma's closest friends join us for her birthday dinner. I'm making macaroni casserole."

"I'd love to," Regina smiled, her hand curling around the silver bullet in her pocket as she tried to swallow the lump that rose in her throat. "Do I need to bring anything?"

"Just an appetite," Mary Margaret smiled sweetly and she gave Emma one last hug before she headed downstairs without another word.

"Take it back!" Regina hissed as she held the vibrator out at Emma. "Now!"

"Nope," Emma laughed and she grabbed her plaid button down shirt and slipped it on. "Trust me, Regina, it's going to change your life."

Regina, as flustered as she was, only watched as Emma grabbed her jacket and her backpack and left her there in the loft alone. She glanced down at the small bullet vibrator in her hand and debated on whether to just put it back where she had found it. When Emma called up for her to hurry up, she pocketed the small vibrator, feeling the blush deepen more so as she headed down the stairs and joined Emma at the door.

"Hey," Emma smiled, stealing a quick kiss before she yanked open the door. "Thank you for the flowers, Regina. They're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," she murmured under her breath, not intending for Emma to hear it, yet she had anyway and rolled her eyes playfully.

"You think I'm beautiful?"

"Have I not said as much for the last two weeks?"

"It's hardly been two weeks," Emma gently reminded her as they stepped out into the small hallway. Emma locked the door and reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers as they headed down the stairs slowly. "I think you're beautiful too, Regina."

* * *

Regina knocked on the Nolan's apartment for the second time that day, the intoxicating aroma of Mary Margaret's cooking wafting out into the hallway. She had barely had a moment alone with Emma all day, save for that morning in her bedroom. She inhaled sharply and smiled as the door flung open and Mary Margaret smiled, motioning for her to come in. Regina placed the present she hadn't had the chance to give to Emma throughout the day on the table..

"Emma?" Mary Margaret called up the stairs. "Regina is here, do you want me to send her up or are you coming down? Dinner won't be ready for another hour!" There was no answer and Mary Margaret turned to Regina with a slight frown. "She's been up there since she came home from school. Why don't you just go on up and I'll call you two when dinner is ready, okay?"

"Okay," Regina smiled. "Dinner smells delicious, Mary Margaret."

"Thank you, sweetie."

Regina wasn't sure why she was just as nervous as she'd been that morning as she climbed up the stairs and slipped past the sheets into Emma's room. Emma was laying on her bed, eyes closed, earbuds in, one leg propped up while the other crossed over it, her foot swinging in time to the music she was listening to. Regina bit her bottom lip and smiled as she undid her wool coat and draped it over the chair piled high with clothes beside the dresser. She had debated whether or not to change before she came over, but in the end she just decided to wear what she'd worn all day, knowing it truly made no difference whether she dressed up for dinner with Emma and her parents or not.

Inhaling sharply, she moved to the foot of Emma's bed and grinned as she watched Emma mouth the words to the song, her foot still swinging in time to the beat. Regina moved to the left side of the bed and very swiftly laid down next to Emma, startling her.

"Jesus, Regina!" Emma laughed as she turned the iPod off and pulled the earbuds out, tossing it beside her. "When did you get here?"

"Just now," she smiled, their hands that lay on the bed between them easily coming together. Emma turned on her side and kissed her softly. "Your mother sent me up and said that dinner would be ready in about an hour."

Emma nodded and leaned in for another kiss, not pulling back right away as Regina expected her to. She truly did not want to start kissing her because every time they did, neither seemed to be able to stop. They were taking a risk as well, with Emma's mother just down in the kitchen, but she couldn't seem to pull away as Emma's tongue slipped over her lips and she parted them willingly and readily. She moaned quietly as Emma's hand fell to her hip and pulled her closer to her, the kiss steadily growing deep and passionate.

Regina pulled Emma on top of her as she rolled on to her back, both of them gasping against each other's lips when Emma slipped a thigh between hers. After Emma little demonstration that morning, Regina had been waiting all day to kiss her again, to feel her body against her own, for Emma's hands to wander over her body, to touch her in all those intimate places they had all but avoided touching since that first weekend they were together.

She had a feeling she would have to be the one to make the first move since Emma was clearly holding back for the most part, sticking to taking things slow between them. Regina placed both hands on Emma's hips, her fingers dipping under her white tank top. She kissed her harder, her hands sliding under her shirt and along the smooth expanse of her back, loving the way that Emma's skin felt against her fingertips. When her fingertips hit the edge of her bra, Emma pulled back from her lips, her eyes searching Regina's for a moment and then flew open wide as Regina deftly flicked open the clasp.

"Regina?" Emma questioned, not stopping her as Regina very slowly slid her hands around Emma's sides and came to rest on her abdomen just below the soft swell of her breasts. "Regina, my mother is downstairs," she hissed, her eyes sliding shut as Regina tentatively slipped her fingers under the loose bra. "God, Regina…"

Regina rolled both semi-erect nipples between her fingertips and Emma kissed her hard in yearning, their bodies moving fluidly together as Emma pressed her thigh harder against Regina's core, eliciting a gasp from her as Emma moaned into her mouth.

She trembled when she felt Emma's hand move between her legs and cupped her gently at first, testing the waters between them as they had never taken it that far yet. Regina palmed Emma's breasts firmly and lifted her hips against her hand, wanting more. She was almost certain that Emma would be able to feel how hot and wet she was through the thin material of her leggings and panties she wore underneath. She was soaked and there was no denying just how turned on she was just from kissing her girlfriend.

"Is this okay?" Emma whispered, barely parting from her lips. "Regina?"

"Yes."

"Can I—"

Regina slipped a hand out from under her shirt and wrapped her hand around the back of her neck, pulling her in for a hard, hungry kiss. She slipped the other out a moment later when Emma hadn't moved and she inhaled shakily as they parted from their kiss, their eyes locked in an intense gaze as Regina gently guided her hand to the top of her leggings and urged her to slip her hand inside.

"Girls?" Mary Margaret called out, her voice far too close for her to be downstairs. Emma shot off of Regina in an instant and quickly reached back to clasp her bra. "Hey, why don't you two come downstairs and help set the table?" She said as she poked her head in between the sheets, smiling at the two of them before heading back down the stairs. "Now, please!"

"Oh god," Emma groaned as she sat on the edge of the bed and buried her face into her hands.

Regina sat up slowly on the bed, her heart racing for more than one reason, the main one now being how close they had been to getting caught. If they kept that up and let their guard down, the chances of them being caught would just keep on increasing.

Regina wasn't sure how much longer they could keep their relationship a secret, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be for much longer at all.


	13. Chapter 13

Regina sat in the booth at Granny's Diner that Saturday afternoon, seated next to her girlfriend while Ruby and Kathryn sat across from them. The diner wasn't packed by any means, but Granny had closed it for the private party Emma's parents were throwing her. There were a handful of their friends from school—and some who Regina knew that Mary Margaret assumed were close friends with Emma, like Killian and Robin. Even Regina's own parents had attended the party, cancelling their weekend to Boston in favour of celebrating Emma Swan's eighteenth birthday with everyone.

Regina looked over at her mother idly having a conversation with David by the counter and then looked at the banner that Mary Margaret clearly had her fourth grade class make that had Happy Birthday Emma written in multi-coloured letters. It was cute, she mused, and turned her attention back to her girlfriend, unable to take her eyes off of her, neither of them focused on the conversation that Ruby and Kathryn were having as she placed a hand on Emma's jean-clad thigh and stroked over the inner seem.

In the last two days the intimacy of their relationship had kicked up a few notches, those wandering hands no longer stayed on top of clothes but they had not gone as far as they nearly did the other night. Neither of them were truly ready to take that step just yet, despite it being so very clear that they both wanted that and slow was becoming a word of the past, especially after the last two nights they'd spent together.

"So, you down, guys?" Ruby asked, rapping her knuckles against the table to get Emma and Regina's attention.

"Hmm? For what?" Emma asked.

"Bonfire party at the Toll Bridge tonight. Everyone is going."

"Do you want to go?" Emma asked Regina who was hesitant to answer. "We don't have to."

"Do you want to?" Regina asked, her fingers still tracing over the seam of her jeans, slowly moving higher to the apex of her thighs, telling her without words of what she'd much rather be doing later. "It's up to you."

"Maybe another time, Rubes," Emma said, her voice rising slightly as Regina's fingers brushed over her core and even through her thin jeans, it clearly had her body reacting to the slight touch. It made Regina smile as she pressed her fingers a little harder against her.

"And what are you guys doing tonight?" Kathryn asked, an eyebrow raised as she peered over the table just as Regina slid her hand away. "Never mind. I really, truly do not want to know."

Regina chuckled and licked over her lips slowly as Emma caught her intense gaze. The fact that Regina had grown far more confident of their relationship than she imagined she could was surprising and endearing in itself. She'd imagined that Emma would've been the one taking the role that she herself had slipped into with ease.

"Oh, Em?" Ruby chuckled as the lights dimmed. "Did I tell you that there's cake?"

"And singing," Kathryn added in.

"I asked her not to!" Emma squeaked and Regina just reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as everyone started singing happy birthday while Granny and Mary Margaret carried the far too big cake lit with eighteen candles over to the booth. "Oh god."

Regina watched her as her face flushed in embarrassment and she did not let go of her hand as the cake was set down on the table. Emma turned to Regina, looking grateful that she was not one of those singing along and she gave her hand another gentle squeeze to reassure her that it'd be over soon enough and she would no longer be at the center of attention. When she blew out the candles, Regina leaned over and kissed her cheek just before the lights flipped back on and she mouthed "I love you" despite all eyes being on Emma and now her as well.

If anyone noticed the little exchange, nobody said a word and after Emma moved from the booth to the table set up by the jukebox to cut the cake for everyone, she found herself seated back in the booth beside Regina and sharing a rather large piece of cake with her.

"Why didn't you guys warn me there was going to be singing?"

"It's a birthday party, Em," Ruby laughed. "There's always going to be cake and singing."

"I hate it."

"Why?" Regina asked gently. "I mean, every year you just sit there all miserable looking when the cake is brought out but you've never said why."

"I don't like being at the center of attention, okay!"

"Who doesn't like being at the center of attention?" Kathryn chuckled. "It's your birthday party, Emma. Of course the focus is on you."

"You're weird sometimes about things, Em, but don't worry, we all still love you the same."

"Gee, thanks, Ruby," Emma rolled her eyes and then gasped when a blob of icing landed on her cheek and she glared at Ruby and the evidence on her fingers that she'd flicked some cake at her. "You did not just do that!"

"And what if I did?"

Regina watched as Emma took the challenge and picked up some cake with her fingers, flicking it at Ruby and laughing as it landed on her forehead and in her hair. Ruby grabbed some more and flicked it towards her and it missed her and landed in Regina's hair. Laughter erupted around the table as Regina picked at the bits of cake and frosting in her hair before picking up an entire handful of cake and throwing it across the table at Ruby.

None of them could stop laughing as bits of cake continued to fly across the table and up until Regina face planted her palm into Kathryn's face, Kathryn hadn't been involved in their little cake fight. Of course, that pulled complete attention over to their booth and Emma licked the frosting and cake from her fingers under Regina's watchful, lustful gaze.

The scene was that of utter ridiculousness but none of them seemed to care, the laughter filling the air and easing the tension Regina knew that Emma had been feeling from the moment they had walked through the door an hour earlier. Regina slid across the booth seat, bumping at Emma's hip with her own and Emma slipped out to allow her to get out of the booth. Immediately she grabbed on to Emma's hand and led her to the back and into the bathroom with Ruby and Kathryn close behind them.

"Granny is going to kill us," Ruby laughed as she fumbled with the lock on the door of the small bathroom. "She's going to kill us. We gotta sneak out the back."

"We'll cover for you, Ruby," Kathryn promised as a glob of icing dripped off of her chin and onto the linoleum floor. "Actually, maybe I'll come with you! The last time I made Granny mad…"

"Em? Regina? Cover for us?"

"Stop being so utterly ridiculous, Ruby," Regina laughed. "She was laughing the whole time."

Once they had cleaned themselves up and calmed Ruby down, Regina hung back in the bathroom with Emma to steal a kiss. Regina stopped her when she went to move away and pulled her back to one of the two stalls that was furthest from the door.

"We can go to the party if you truly want to," Regina said softly, guiding Emma's hand down between her legs, encouraging Emma to cup her over her tight jeans. "Or we can go back to my place and…hang out just you and I."

"What about your parents?"

"When has either of them kept us from being alone in my room?" Regina asked, rolling her hips, encouraging Emma to touch her harder. "I—Emma, I want to…I want more."

"More?"

Regina laughed softly and leaned in to whisper into her ear, "I want you to touch me."

"I am."

"I want you to feel how…turned on I am."

"Now?" Emma squeaked and she turned to look at the now unlocked bathroom door. "Anyone can walk in and I really don't want to do this here and—"

Regina silenced her with her lips, deftly undoing her jeans before guiding Emma's hand inside. While she stayed on the outside of her panties, the intimate way her fingers danced along her pussy had her gushing with arousal and if her panties weren't already wet, they were soaked now. She moaned quietly as Emma's fingers tentatively slipped lower.

"Jesus, Regina," Emma murmured over her lips. "You're _so_ wet."

"Mmm," Regina moaned quietly before gently easing Emma's hand out from inside her pants. With a teasing smile, she buttoned up her jeans, not taking her eyes off of Emma. "I want to touch you too," she said huskily, planting a soft yet firm kiss on her lips before strolling away from her with a sway in her hips. "Are you coming?"

"I have a feeling I will be," she heard Emma mutter under her breath, pausing to look in the mirror before following Regina back out to the party.

* * *

Things had been hot and heavy from the very moment they had gotten into Regina's bedroom an hour before. The plaid shirt Emma had worn—and really she had far too many of them to count—had been unbuttoned and discarded on the floor leaving her in only her black skinny jeans and white tank top. Her bra had been removed by an overly eager Regina and as she reeled back from the intense kiss they were in, she glanced around the room to see if she could see where it ended up.

Regina on the other hand, her blouse was partially undone and her jeans, although tight, had been tastefully paired with the soft yellow blouse. Her white lace bra was clearly visible by her partially undone shirt and as Regina pulled Emma back in for another kiss, Emma's fingers deftly unbuttoned the last few.

They had gone this far only a few times before and each and every time it had been with a desperation that consumed them both. Emma eased Regina onto her back more and trailed hot, open mouthed kisses hurriedly down her neck and over her chest, stopping when she reached the top of her tight, lace bra.

Regina's breath hitched in her chest and watched Emma closely as she lifted a hand and flicked open the front clasp of the bra, a silent sign that she wanted Emma to continue. Emma settled down between her legs and lightly traced her fingers down the valley of her breasts, the bra itself slipping but not yet exposing her completely. She could feel how fast Emma's heart was hammering in her chest and they both inhaled sharply as Emma used just the tips of her fingers to ease the lace material away from her breasts, her eyes drinking in the sight of Regina's dusky, semi-erect nipples mere inches in front of her.

"You're beautiful," Emma whispered, her breath dancing over Regina's breasts, her fingers lightly tracing over one nipple and moving to the next, watching the bud harden at her light touch. "So beautiful, Regina."

"Come here," Regina urged, the sensation almost too much. She pulled at Emma until they were face to face once more. "Kiss me, baby. Just kiss me."

Emma complied, hovering just over her slightly and she nibbled on Regina's lower lip as Regina all but desperately unbuttoned Emma's jeans. They kissed slow and deep, and Emma moaned as Regina's hand slipped inside her jeans, inside her panties and with some hesitation, her fingers slid lower until they came into contact with wet, hot heat.

Regina almost shuddered at the feel of her fingers deftly slipping over Emma, allowing her fingers to explore for the first time. Emma moaned and gasped when she touched her just right, letting her learn just what she liked and what she loved most. All the while she fumbled with the button on Regina's jeans while trying to keep herself steady and seconds after a failed first attempt, Regina's other hand came to meet hers, helping her undo her jeans.

"Emma, please," she murmured against her lips. "Touch me."

Emma moaned as Regina grabbed a hold of her wrist and guided her hand inside, answering her unspoken question if she was sure. Regina needed to feel her fingers against her, she wanted her to feel just how wet she made her. She could feel Emma growing wetter with every touch, her fingers slowing as she waited for Emma's fingers to slick over her. Regina moaned loudly at the first touch of Emma's fingers slipping over her folds, dipping between them to slick over the wetness that pooled there.

Excitement clearly flooded through Emma's body and she dipped her head down, kissing Regina wantonly as their fingers found a steady, matching rhythm. Emma kissed her harder in yearning as Regina's fingers slipped over her slit, gathering her arousal over her fingers before moving them back to circle and tease over her throbbing clit.

Their bodies rocked together, lips crushed in a hard kiss and Regina's free hand gripped the back of Emma's shirt in the same way Emma gripped at the duvet that covered the bed. Emma fell to her elbow, unable to hold herself up completely and they moaned and writhed against one another until Regina could feel the first wave of Emma's orgasm thundering through her body.

They needed to keep quiet, but it was growing impossibly hard. When Regina rolled Emma's clit between her forefinger and thumb, Emma moaned loudly, the sound barely muffled by Regina's lips and tongue that completely devoured her. Regina could barely contain her own moans of pleasure as Emma's fingers slicked over the length of her cunt.

Regina's hips rose off the bed as Emma just eased a single finger inside her hot, tight hole and she stopped when Regina gasped and gave a little shake of her head without breaking away from their kiss. It was too much for her, the touch just too much for her virgin pussy to handle and she was grateful Emma didn't press for more as she just cupped her gently before moving her fingers back to her swollen clit.

Even within the tight confines of their jeans, their fingers moved fluidly, bringing each other closer and closer to the edge. The intensity of the moment heightened as the second wave of Emma's orgasm rippled from deep inside and she let go, her body tightening, shuddering and twitching as she broke apart from Regina's lips, breathily moaning out her name. Her fingers never stilled, Regina was so close to coming undone herself and Emma pressed on, her fingers speeding up, relentless against her hard, throbbing clit.

"Emma!" Regina gasped as her hips surged off the bed. "Oh god, Emma!"

Emma leaned back, watching as Regina came undone beneath her. The sensation was so very new, but it felt amazing as she let herself go, riding out the wave of her first orgasm. Regina hesitantly pulled her hand out from Emma's jeans and Emma soon followed suit. She watched as Emma knelt between her legs and brought up her arousal coated fingers that shined in the light coming from the bedside lamp. Regina could smell their mixed arousal hanging in the air around them and it brought out an animalistic desire inside of her to taste her and she had no doubt that the same thought was running through Emma's mind as well.

Grinning down at Regina, Emma shifted her gaze to her exposed breasts and circled her arousal soaked fingers over a hard nipple before ducking her head down and she licked over it fully with the flat of her tongue. Regina threw her head back, moaning loudly, biting at her bottom lip in a weak attempt to keep quiet. She brought up her own arousal coated fingers and she waited until Emma's eyes had turned to look up at her before she ever so slowly slid a single digit into her mouth and licked it clean, moaning at the taste of Emma against her skin.

Emma focused her attention back on Regina's hard nub, licking over it again and tasting her, clearly showing her enjoyment in doing just that. Regina slipped a second finger into her mouth and god, Emma tasted amazing and Regina knew that she was going to have a hard time not ripping off her pants and tasting her straight from her core, but they weren't ready for that.

The rate they were going, they'd get there sooner rather than later, that Regina was certain of. Emma made it known that she wanted more, that she needed more. Regina had other plans and she caught Emma off guard the moment she lifted her lips from her breast and flipped them over, pinning Emma to the bed with a salacious smile dancing over her lips.

"Hi," Emma squeaked out, almost looking embarrassed at the way her voice sounded.

"Hello," Regina grinned and she pinned Emma's hands to the bed as her hips ground down against hers. "You taste amazing."

"Do I?" Emma groaned quietly and Regina nodded her head and licked over her lips slowly. "I was about to say the same thing about you."

"I cannot wait until I can…" Regina trailed off, her breath hitching in her throat as she took a hand away from Emma's wrist and hurried moved it between their bodies and back inside Emma's pants. "I want to."

"Now?"

"Soon," she murmured, her fingers slicking over Emma's slit and she teased a finger inside her hole shallowly, watching Emma closely as she did. "Not yet?"

"Not yet," Emma gasped, her hips jerking against Regina's exploring fingers. "You're gonna make me cum again, babe."

Regina grinned, loving the control she had over Emma in that very moment, control that Emma had more than happily given to her. It felt far too good to fight it. Emma pulled her in for a kiss, their lips crushing together, tongues wantonly dancing together as Regina's fingers became relentless. There was no teasing, no tentative touches, not now that she knew exactly how to bring Emma flying over the edge.

The bedroom door suddenly flung open and a loud gasp tore them apart. Breathing heavily as they stared into one another's eyes, Regina's both in fear and surprise and Emma's more in fear, they hesitated to turn and look at the open door and just who had caught them.

"Really, dear?" Cora asked with an eyebrow raised, unmoving from where she stood in the doorway with a half-full glass of wine in one hand, slightly shaking.

"Mother, I—we—" Regina gasped as she tore her hand out from inside Emma's pants and scrambled to pull her shirt over her exposed breasts in a panic. "We—I can explain—"

"Do take a moment to compose yourselves," Cora said easily, calmly, turning to walk away. "I'll be down in the study. I would like to speak with both of you, if you will."

"I'm dead. I'm so dead. She's going to kill us both, Emma," Regina murmured once Cora had shut the door and walked away. She struggled with her bra and then the buttons on her blouse. Tears in her eyes as she nearly toppled from the bed to the floor. "Emma, this was not supposed to happen like this! She wasn't supposed to catch us!"

"Regina—"

"Emma, do you realize what just happened?!"

"Uh, I was here?" Emma replied in confusion as she did up the button on her pants and slipped off the bed. "Regina—"

"My mother just caught me with my hand down your pants!"

Regina stormed over to her desk and bent down when she spotted Emma's haphazardly discarded bra on the floor. She caught her off guard as she flung it blindly back at her. Regina was positively freaking out and it took Emma three whole minutes to calm Regina down before she started hyperventilating. Emma had just held her for the longest time before kissing her on the side of the head and took her hand gently.

"Come on, Regina. The longer we stay up here, the worse it's going to be."

"It's already the worst it can be!"

"I'll be right there with you," Emma said gently. "I love you, Regina. No matter what happens in the next ten minutes, I am always going to be here for you and I am always going to love you."

Regina swallowed thickly before allowing Emma to lead the way downstairs and into the study where Cora was waiting for them. Cora pointed to the sofa across the one she sat in and they both awkwardly sat down, Regina trying to pull her hand away and Emma holding it firmly.

"Mother—"

"How long did you think you could keep this from me, dear?"

"I—"

"I'm afraid that what I owe your father for the bet we made will have to be taken from your weekly allowance. He said one of us would, catch you so to speak and I said otherwise, that you would tell us before either of us had to unfortunately catch you two in a compromising position."

The only thing that swirled in their minds in that moment was: _what the hell_?!


	14. Chapter 14

Cora sipped from her wine glass, a coy smile curling over her lips as both Regina and Emma did a double take over the words that had just spilled past her lips. Regina was simply shell-shocked at the way her mother was reacting. She wasn't sure what she expected, but this was definitely a surprise.

"Regina, dear, haven't I told you that it is rather unattractive to sit there with your mouth gaped open like a fish?" Cora said cooly, her smile turning into a smirk. "Do you not agree, Emma?"

"Huh?" Emma stammered, eyes wide.

"Of course I'm sure you'd find her attractive no matter what she does with her mouth," Cora chuckled and she paused to take another sip, her eyes lingering on Regina and Emma's joined hands that sat on the small space on the sofa between them. "Oh, don't be so shocked, dears. I have known for a very long time how you two feel about one another. Perhaps longer than you two have known for yourselves."

Regina tensed and not even Emma's comfortable squeeze did a thing to calm her down in that very moment. She felt like she was once again on the verge of having a panic attack and nothing seemed to calm her down other than the very fact that her mother was smiling over at the two of them. Cora chuckled light-heartedly as she rose from where she sat on the opposite sofa and walked to the table behind them, the sound of her filling her wine glass the only sound in the otherwise silent room.

"Do you know what I find so hard to believe?" Cora asked quietly before she came back into sight and sat back down. "However did you two manage to keep thing such a well-kept secret all these months? I mean, you two spent so much time together over the summer and I had thought for sure you'd come out and tell your father and I, Regina. What has it been, five, six months for you two, hmm?"

"What?" Regina asked as she blinked and did a double take. Her mother thought they'd been together since before the summer? "We haven't been together for that long, Mother."

"No? Could've fooled me," Cora tittered. "I was more than certain it happened right around prom in the spring. You two have been completely inseparable since then. I would, however, like to know who you think you were fooling parading around with that boy, Regina."

"I wasn't—"

"Mrs. Mills, we've only been together for a couple of weeks," Emma interrupted softly, the blush on her cheeks flaring as Cora turned to look at her.

"A couple of weeks? Is that all, dear? Really?"

"Mother, I—"

"Yes, dear?"

"How are you—I mean—this is completely unexpected!" Regina stammered and Cora laughed again, moving to sit next to her flustered, red-faced daughter. "You're actually…okay with this?"

"If you two didn't get together by the end of this year, I actually had plans to take some rather drastic measures in making sure you two ended up together, but let's not get into that now, shall we?" Cora smiled as she smoothed her hand over Regina's head in the way she used to when Regina had been young. "I assume your parent's are aware of your relationship, Emma?"

"They don't know," Emma replied in a whisper, almost looking ashamed to admit it.

"Hmm," Cora tilted her head to the side before dropping her hand away from Regina. "I assume if they knew they would have issued a few rules, correct?" Upon Emma's nod, she continued. "I have several of my own as well and I fully expect them to be followed. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Yes, Mrs. Mills."

"You may think of me as rather strict, and I can be when it matters the most, but the only thing that truly matters to me is your happiness in the end, Regina. The only rule I have is that you two be happy, be in love, be whoever you are together and if anyone raises an issue about your relationship—"

"Wait, what?" Regina asked, stopping her right where she was. "You're not—did you just—"

"I have only ever wanted to see you as happy as I've seen you throughout the summer, dear. I assumed that once school had started that things got rather stressful or that perhaps you two had a little lovers spat, but then I saw that happiness in your eyes again just over the past couple of weeks. That smile you always had after all those days you and Emma had spent together came back and as I have said, all I ever want for you is happiness, Regina."

Regina blinked, wondering if she should pinch herself because this could not be happening. Cora Mills could've won the strictest mother of the year award for every year of her life, so hearing her being so open and quite the opposite of everything she'd ever known her own mother to be made it feel like some kind of dream, some kind of alternate universe.

"Regina, dear, do remember to breathe. You're looking quite…light-headed there."

"Mother—"

"Now, regarding your weekly allowance, I'll have to crunch the numbers, but I am certain you'll have to go without your car for a few weeks as I know you use that money to pay for gas. Emma, I am sure, would be more than willing to pick her nearly speechless girlfriend up for school each morning, I'm assuming?"

"Why do I have to pay for a bet you lost, Mother?" Regina asked, suddenly all that fiery fury inside of her bubbling to the surface, pushing past the embarrassment and panic that had filled her since the moment her mother opened her bedroom door. "I cannot believe you!"

"It's a part of the consequences, dear daughter. I did not raise a fool nor did I raise you to be so unsure and afraid of who you are to keep a relationship like the one you have with Emma a secret from your own family. So, in return of your foolishness and likely believing your father and I to be closed-minded bigots, you'll pay a small price."

"I cannot believe this is happening," Regina groaned as she leaned back against the sofa and dropped her head back as her eyes slid shut.

"Well, Regina, I for one think this is great…"

"And you, Emma Swan, are going to tell your dear parents about your relationship with my daughter as I completely am against you two keeping this a secret as you have thus far. And I am also already aware you came out of that closet to them a short while ago."

Regina winced and hoped that Emma didn't correct her because as surprisingly well as things had been going, it wouldn't take much for things to turn on a dime when it came to her mother.

"I—I—yes, ma'am," Emma stuttered and when Regina looked over at her, she was nodding her head and her eyes were wide and her face as flushed as Regina's knew her own were.

"Not so great now, is it, Emma?" Regina muttered as Emma now mirrored her position on the couch. They looked at one another and they sighed softly in mutual understanding.

Even Regina knew that telling Mary Margaret and David was going to be even harder for Emma than it was when she had come out of the closet and told them she was gay. And just like Emma was there for her now in that very moment, she knew she was going to be right there with her when they told Emma's parents that they were in a relationship with each other.

* * *

Regina and Emma stood at the bottom of the stairs and Emma was visibly stiff as Regina held tightly on to her hand. She had promised Emma the night before after her mother had caught them that she would come over to the apartment first thing in the morning so they could tell Emma's parents together. The nerves were clear to see and Regina wasn't sure how to reassure Emma that everything would be okay.

"Emma?" Regina said her name softly and Emma barely took her eyes off the bottom step.

"I don't know if I can do this."

"Emma—"

"I don't want them to find out from anyone else, least of all your mother," Emma said quietly. "I know she won't actually come over or call Mary Margaret and flat out tell her, but I—"

"Hey, Emma, you can do this. _We_ can do this, okay? I love you. I'm right here with you."

Emma managed a small smile, the aura of confidence she'd instilled in Regina the night before now being handed right back to her in almost the exact same way. While Regina had been on the verge of a breakdown in those moments after her mother had caught them, if it hadn't been for Emma she would've never left her bedroom. The whole situation had been embarrassing for all parties involved, but this was different. This was them telling Emma's parents and not because they had been caught red-handed.

Just a little over two weeks ago she'd been struggling with her feelings for Emma, with herself, and she never imagined that in the span of time that had passed since that she'd be in this very position. But she was, if nothing short, supportive of Emma, not just because they were best friends and it'd always been that way, but because she was her girlfriend now and they were about to take the next crucial step in their relationship.

It would change a lot of things, that Regina was certain. While her mother had surprised them both in being so very accepting, not even laying out a few rules as she had expected, Mary Margaret was going to be an entirely different story. Even Regina was a little worried about how she'd react to the news that they were dating, especially since they had spent plenty of time alone in Emma's room together in the last two weeks.

"You're right," Emma said as she finally looked at Regina and smiled. I can do this, _we_ can do this, Regina. Come on, David is going to be leaving for work soon and I really don't want to have to have this talk twice, you know?"

Regina smiled and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on Emma's lips before it was she who led them up the stairs with Emma falling in step behind her. They shared one last kiss before letting go of each other's hand and Emma led the way into the apartment. As always, it smelled so good in there and Regina couldn't help but smile at the smell of fresh bread being baked in the oven.

"Mary Margaret?" Emma said tentatively as they stood by the kitchen island. Mary Margaret spun around suddenly with a look of surprise as she saw Regina. "Can we talk to you?"

"Of course, sweetie," she smiled as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"Where's David?" Emma asked as she sat on one of the stools and Regina took a seat on the one next to her. "He's still home, right?"

As if on cue, David stepped out of the bathroom and finished strapping on his gun holster around his shoulders. "Hello, Regina," he smiled at her. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine," Regina said quietly, smiling back at him. "How are you, Sheriff?"

"Can you believe this girl?" David asked Mary Margaret, shaking his head as he stole a quick kiss from his wife. "Regina, when I'm not on duty, you may call me David. We've been over this many, many times."

"Honey, Emma has something she wants to talk to us about," Mary Margaret said and she turned to face both of them with a look of pure seriousness on her face. "Oh no," she said as her eyes went wide. "Is one of you pregnant? Emma?"

"No!" Emma exclaimed and she looked over at Regina with panic stricken eyes and for a moment Regina was more than certain she was either going to back out of telling her parents about them or pass out from being so nervous.

"Neither of us are pregnant, Mary Margaret," Regina supplied to ease the poor woman's fears that either she or her own daughter were pregnant.

"What's going on?" David asked and he placed a supportive hand on his wife's shoulder.

Just out of sight of her parents, Emma reached for Regina's hand and they just looked at one another for the longest moment. Regina was only there for support, nothing more, and it was Emma who had to say the words herself. Regina gently squeezed her hand and smiled lovingly at her. Emma inhaled deeply and looked over at her parents.

"I wanted to talk to you about Regina and I," she said shakily and the room fell into silence and Mary Margaret barely flinched as the timer on the oven dinged. "The thing is," Emma paused to take another breath and Regina stroked her thumb over hers. "The thing is, we've been um, dating I guess you can call it for a couple of weeks now and—"

"Excuse me, I need to get the bread out of the oven," Mary Margaret said blankly as she shrugged David's hand off her shoulder and reached for the oven mitts.

"Mom," Emma sighed and it made her stop before she could open the oven. It wasn't very often that Emma called her parents Mom or Dad, but when she did it always seemed to catch them both off guard. "Regina is my girlfriend."

"What?" Mary Margaret said as she dropped the oven mitts, making no move to pick them up. David bent down to grab them and she snatched them out of his hand. "I must be hearing things, but did you just say that Regina is your girlfriend?"

"That's what I said, Mom."

"Oh my," Mary Margaret suddenly flushed and David steadied her as she wobbled on her feet.

Regina paled as Emma did and for a moment she wondered if maybe her parents weren't going to be nearly as accepting of their relationship as her own had been. Regina felt her hand growing clammy as Emma kept a tight hold on it and they just stared at one another for the longest time until it was David who cleared his throat.

"That's wonderful news," he smiled a genuine smile. "Mary Margaret, isn't that wonderful news? Emma and Regina are together, just as we suspected they might be."

"What?" Emma gasped and she let go of Regina's hand suddenly. "You guys already suspected that we were together?"

"Well, your mother wasn't too sure, but you two cannot hide the way you look at one another. If you don't mind me saying, you remind myself of your mother and I, Emma, when we first met and fell in love."

"Rules!" Mary Margaret yelped suddenly and she laughed, shaking her head before moving to take the bread out of the oven before it burned. "There are going to be rules!"

"Rules?" Emma looked at Regina with a knowing look. They both knew this was coming. "Uh, okay, what kind of rules, Mary Margaret?"

"No more sleepovers," she stated firmly and she waved the oven mitts at both of them. "I mean it, Emma. No more sleepovers with Regina."

Regina tried to hide the gutted look on her face, but Emma sure didn't try at all. Emma just buried her face into her hands and groaned loudly and all Regina could do was sit there and try not to make with the awkward eye contact with either of Emma's parents.

"No more sleepovers," Emma mumbled as she dropped her hands.

"Two," Mary Margaret said, her voice slightly shaking as she stared at both of them. "No more spending time alone in your bedroom, Emma."

"Come on!" Emma groaned in protest. "I'm eighteen years old!"

"You're still living under our roof," Mary Margaret said gently. "Emma, this is quite unexpected with you and Regina. Do I even want to know how long this has been going on for?"

"Two weeks," Emma replied easily and she turned to Regina and smiled despite the swirling emotions that were flowing with all of them in that moment.

"Regina, do your parents know that you and Emma are dating?" David asked and upon her nod, he just smiled. "Mary Margaret, maybe we should just enforce the first rule. They are adults after all and I am sure that they can respect the fact that they are under our roof if they are alone in Emma's room together."

"Emma, just tell me one thing," Mary Margaret said with a heavy sigh. "Are you two having sex?"

"No!" Emma nearly shrieked and Regina shook her head and found it even more increasingly hard to look at either of the Nolan's. "We're not having sex!"

"I'm certain you two are going to take precautions when you get there," she continued and even David looked as mortified as Regina and Emma felt in that moment. "With protection of course."

"Protection?" Emma's face scrunched into confusion, her cheeks red-hot as she looked at Regina. "What would we need protection for?" She whispered to her and Regina simply shrugged, not knowing herself either. "Oh my god this is completely mortifying."

Regina just reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers, smiling a little at her despite the fact that she too was on the verge of completely losing her cool. Regina still could not believe just how far she'd come in the last few weeks, but her mother had been right about one thing. She hadn't been raised to be a fool nor to be so afraid of being herself. It was those words of reassurance she could've used _months_ ago to boost her confidence and acceptance of herself.

While Mary Margaret rambled on about safe sex, Regina just stared at her girlfriend, watching a host of emotions show themselves in her eyes as the seconds ticked by. She had to fight that urge to lean over and kiss Emma, not wanting to show such signs of affections in front of her parents when they had only just told them they were together. Instead she just squeezed Emma's hand once more.

"I'm afraid I have to leave you girls to uh, talk more about…you know," David said, blushing as he leaned in to kiss his wife goodbye. "Emma, Regina, I want nothing more than for your happiness together, just remember that above all else."

"Thanks, David," Emma managed a watery smile as tears sprang to her eyes. "Thank you."

"Good luck," he whispered, the words just barely making it to Regina's own ears and he all but dashed out of the apartment, leaving Regina and Emma alone with a very agitated and flustered Mary Margaret.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Emma whispered and Regina nodded quickly, wanting nothing more than to be anywhere but there in that moment. "Uh, Mary Margaret?"

"Yes?" She squeaked as she clutched onto the oven mitts that hadn't left her hands.

"We're just going to uh, head out," Emma said as she hooked a thumb over her shoulder towards the door. "Mary Margaret?"

"Yes, Emma?"

"Are you okay with this?" Emma asked hesitantly. "Because I think you should know that we're kind of really in love with each other and—"

"No sleepovers!" Mary Margaret said quickly and she laughed almost in spite of herself. "Emma, I am always going to fully support you and any decision you make, you know that, sweetie. I just need a little bit of time to get used to this, to you and Regina being more than friends." Neither Emma or Regina moved just yet, they only watched Mary Margaret try to compose herself. "I am happy for you two, truly I am. Now, Emma, I expect you home for dinner tonight. Five, sharp."

"I'll be home," Emma smiled as she slid off the stool. She let go of Regina's hand and walked over to her mother and hugged her tightly, whispering something in her ear that left Mary Margaret on the verge of tears. Emma walked back over to Regina with a smile and reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers as she led the way to the door. "Come on, let's go for a drive somewhere, yeah?"

Regina nodded, pausing to take one last look back at Emma's mother and found Mary Margaret smiling at the two of them just before they dashed out of the apartment hand in hand. Regina laughed as she ran down the stairs behind Emma and she knew in that very moment that all her disillusions of love, of longing, were more than definitely going to turn right around.

And their lives would never be the same from there on out, because in that very moment she also fell the change shifting between them and she could only look forward to all the memories they were about to make from there on out.


	15. Chapter 15

The weeks went by, one by one, every day almost better than the last. Every morning Emma picked her up early for school, those half an hours turning into rather heavy make out sessions in the back seat of the Bug. They had to fight off wandering hands while the heater was on full blast to starve off the chill of the morning air and Regina had found it becoming increasingly impossible not to want to push their previous boundaries, boundaries of which they hadn't crossed since her mother had caught them in her bedroom the night of Emma's birthday party.

They stole random kisses between periods during school and their late afternoons were spent parked at the harbour making out in the back seat of the Bug. While Emma honoured her mother's rule of no sleepovers, it didn't stop those late nights on the weekend spent in the privacy of Regina's bedroom from happening. Late nights that left her longing for more as she watched Emma drive off in order to make it home before her strict curfew.

By the time the week of Thanksgiving rolled around, the two had settled into something resembling that of a routine. Every moment she spend with Emma, Regina found, just felt so right, so real. They were still very much best friends as they had been almost all their lives, but there was a higher definition to their relationship now and it only made it better. The more time she spent with Emma, the further that doubt, that hesitation just slipped away.

Regina had fallen into a cloud of lust, of love, of longing and all she could truly see was Emma Swan. Almost every waking moment, every thought centered around her and she had absolutely zero qualms when it came to those thoughts of her girlfriend. She was infatuated, fully and completely and that very feeling was reciprocated fully, Emma never failing to show her just how she felt about her even if she did purposely hold back majority of the time when things had started to quite literally get out of hand.

Regina was more than ready to take that final step in their relationship even despite the whole lack of experience either of them had when it came to sex. The more she tried to not think about it, the more she did. It had been all those frustrating moments between then that had taken her all but two weeks before, she'd became all too familiar with the silver bullet vibrator Emma had insisted that she borrow upon her discovery of the contraption.

The Monday just before Thanksgiving, she drove to school in her Mercedes for the first time since her mother had caught her and Emma in her bedroom. She'd been running behind that morning and had text Emma as she ran out the door. By the time she pulled into the school parking lot, she noticed a crowd gathered around where she normally parked her car. Regina pulled into the nearest empty space and got out, walking over to the crowd when she saw none other than Emma and Graham in the middle.

"What the hell is your problem, Graham?"

"I don't have a problem," he replied lightly. "It's you that obviously does. Now get out of my way. I'm in no mood to deal with you bitching me out because you're on your fucking rag, Swan."

"You want to know what my problem is? Where do I start?" Emma said and Regina hung back just out of sight of her girlfriend. "You're just so fucking lucky she hasn't heard the rumours you started spreading about her," Emma said and even from where Regina stood, she could see how angry she was, how tense she was. "My problem is that you _forced_ yourself on my best friend when you two were dating and she clearly did not want you to and then you go and break up with her, stranded her because you were getting fucking blue-balled! You couldn't even take no for an answer like a man!"

"Let's get one thing straight, Swan, she was supposed to be my girlfriend," Graham said lowly, moving to stand closer to her. "She was supposed to be my _girlfriend_ and she never let me touch her. You know what that made me think? Hmm?"

"What did it make you think?"

"She's not just a prude, she's a fucking dyke just like you are!"

Emma curled her hand into a tight fist and Regina started pushing herself through the crowd, not wanting things to escalate any further. "And you know what you are?"

"What's that, sweetheart?" Graham chuckled and Regina could see that his friends were now flanking him from behind.

"You are scum, worse than—"

"And you know what you are?" Graham chortled. "You're a filthy dyke. Everyone knows what you are, Swan, and I bet you anything that you picked Regina up that night I dumped her. Did you kiss it all better for her, hmm?"

Regina wasn't quick enough and yet it looked as if it happened in slow motion with the way that Emma curled her right fist tightly, reeled back and punched Graham in the jaw with a hard right hook. Regina grabbed on to Emma, forcing her away from him as Graham chuckled and spit out a mouthful of blood. He gave Emma the once over before shaking his head and spitting out another mouthful of blood. With a sneer, he wiped at the corner of his mouth before stepping closer to Emma and even Regina could feel his hot breath spilling past his bloody lips.

"That's what I thought, Swan. Say, Regina, how's it feel knowing your girlfriend is trying to be your knight in shining armour, hmm? Protecting you all this time and you have no idea—"

Regina let Emma go when she felt her muscles coil tightly and Emma threw a second punch that left him stumbling until he crashed into one of his friends. Regina could only watch as Graham's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he was out, unconscious as his friends tried to wake him up immediately. It was Ruby who grabbed on to Emma and pulled her away that time and Emma struggled against Ruby's tight grip she had on her.

"Em, hey, stop!" Ruby struggled and she forced Emma to look at her. "Stop! It's not worth it!"

"He deserved it!"

"Why were you two even getting into it?" Ruby asked and she let Emma go. "He's not even worth it, Em!"

"Emma?" Regina tried, gently taking Emma's right hand in hers. Even with half the crowd still standing around, she didn't care if they were watching and she lifted Emma's swollen hand to her lips and kissed over her knuckles. "What's going on, baby?"

Emma shook her head and with a gentle nudge from Ruby, they moved to stand by Emma's yellow Bug and Emma leaned against the hood. "He's been talking about you."

"What?" Regina asked, this news being new to her. "What do you mean, talking about me?"

"He's been spreading rumours," Ruby supplied and Emma frowned as Regina just stared at her.

"What kind of rumours?"

"About you and Emma," Ruby said quietly. "How you two have been together a hell of a lot longer than you already have been and how you like to tease guys, string them along, make them force themselves upon you just so you can make them look bad. It's ridiculous, I know."

"And you were fighting him because?" Regina asked Emma as she raised her swollen hand to her lips again and kissed over her swollen knuckles softly. "Emma?"

"Started with him parking in your spot," Emma said as she looked over at his car parked next to hers. "Told him to park somewhere else and it just escalated from there."

"Wait, why haven't I heard any of these rumours?" Regina asked, looking over at Ruby. "I haven't heard _anything_!"

"That's because your girlfriend has shut people up about what Graham has been saying," Ruby replied and Regina frowned at Emma who wore a rather sheepish look on her face. "Nobody really believes him anyway. Em, I don't know why you let him get to you like that!"

"What rumours, Emma?" Regina tried again and Emma shrugged. "Emma?"

"What Ruby already told you."

"No, there's more, isn't there?"

"Hey, it doesn't matter," Ruby interjected. "Nobody believes what comes out of his mouth anyway. Em, you do realize if you get caught, Mr. Gold is going to suspend you!"

"It was worth it," Emma chuckled dryly as she pulled her hand away from Regina and shook it out. "He deserved it, Rubes!"

"He deserves to have his goddamn balls chopped off, but that's not going to happen!"

"Where is Kathryn this morning?" Regina asked, suddenly feeling the need to change the topic. She looked around at the crowd that had all but dispersed now. "I haven't talked to her all weekend. I'm rather concerned."

"I walked. She said she was getting a ride with Frederick, said they were going to take a drive before school. They've been fighting all weekend," Ruby replied with a sigh. "I'm worried about them too, but I'm more worried about you two right now."

"I can handle people talking about me, rumours or not. People can say whatever they want about me, about Emma and I. It makes no difference," Regina said cooly and Emma just stared at her in awe at how calm and collected she was keeping herself. "Let's head inside. It's rather cold today."

Regina intertwined her fingers with Emma's uninjured hand and she stole a soft, chaste kiss before the three of them headed into the school together. Regina was just a little bothered by what she had seen transpire between Emma and Graham and mostly because she hadn't heard of the rumours that had been floating around. Not even Emma had mentioned them to her and she knew she hadn't for a reason. Being the Mayor's daughter, Regina was more than used to people talking about her, always subjected to ridiculous rumours over the years. It didn't matter what people said, she never let them affect her in any way or form.

After they told Emma's parents they were together, they didn't keep their relationship a secret as they had before. They did, however, keep the public displays of affection to a minimum but even then, they stole a kiss or two in the hallway by their lockers in between classes nearly every day.

"Swan!" Killian Jones called out as he made his way down the crowded hallway towards them. Regina rolled her eyes, not letting go of Emma's hand as he approached them. "Way to go, Swan! Heard you knocked Graham out. What I wouldn't have paid to see that show!"

"Uh, thanks?" Emma shrugged. "He deserved it."

"Damn right," he nodded in agreement. "Had no right speaking of you or your woman like that."

"Regina is not my _woman_, Killian."

"Girlfriend? Partner?" Killian chortled. "Anyway, just extending an offer to keep Graham off your backs, you know, if he starts riling up shit again."

"You keep your offer, Killian. Regina and I can take care of ourselves when it comes to that asshole," Emma replied, rolling her eyes as she turned to her locker.

Regina narrowed her eyes at him and he just smirked before walking away, disappearing in the crowd in the hallway. Regina let go of Emma's hand once she noticed she was having issues trying to turn the combination with her sore, swollen hand. Regina opened her own locker and she frowned when Emma let out a grunt of frustration when she failed to open it with her left hand. Regina gently eased her away and made quick work of opening Emma's, knowing the combination as well as her own.

"Maybe you should get your hand looked at?" Regina said gently, noticing how it was now swollen twice the size as it had been before. "Emma?"

"I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. "It's just swollen. Graham has a hard head."

"What if something is broken?"

Emma stiffly wiggled her fingers with a grimace. "Not broken, babe, just swollen."

"Jesus, Em," Ruby sighed from beside her. "You really did a number on your hand."

"I bet his face is worse," Emma chuckled and she swallowed thickly as the three of them spotted a very angry Mr. Gold headed straight there way. "Oh great."

"Miss. Swan, my office now, if you will," Mr. Gold said tightly.

Regina frowned as Emma slammed her locker shut and followed him down the hallway, murmurs floating through the crowd as soon as they had rounded the corner. Regina groaned quietly and with a shake of her head she placed her bag, her purse and her jacket in her locker and grabbed her textbooks.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Ruby asked as they stood there, waiting for the warning bell to go off. "He won't suspend her, will he?"

"I have no idea, Ruby."

"Look, there's Kathryn," Ruby said with a smile and she waved her down. "Hey, Kat, you totally missed it!"

"Missed what?" Kathryn asked tiredly.

Ruby told her everything that had happened while Regina just listened to her spin the tale. By the time the warning bell went off, Emma hadn't returned and Regina took the long walk through the school that took her past the office on the way to the science lab. She spotted Emma sitting in one of the chairs just outside of Mr. Gold's office with an icepack on her hand and a dejected look on her face. Regina stood there for a moment and when Emma looked her way, she shook her head and frowned deeply.

"Miss. Mills, you best be getting to class now," Mr. Gold said, startling her as he stood behind her with Graham at his side. "Now, Miss. Mills, as I know you cannot afford to be tardy."

"Sorry, Mr. Gold."

Regina didn't miss the look on Graham's face nor did she miss the fact that the left side of his face was not only swollen, but already bruising and his eye was barely open. Emma really did do a number on him and even though she knew she shouldn't be proud of her, deep down she was because if nothing else, Graham did deserve what was coming to him for saying the things that she'd heard him say. She took one last look at her girlfriend in the office before quickly making her way to her first period class.

By lunch period, Regina hadn't seen or heard from Emma at all and her few texts she'd sent had gone unanswered. She ate lunch with Ruby and Kathryn and neither of them had heard anything about what had happened to Emma that morning and when Regina went off to look for her, she noticed that Emma's Bug was no longer in the parking lot and neither was Graham's car. With a frown, she tried calling Emma's cell, but it went straight to voice mail.

Not caring that she couldn't afford to skip English class, Regina grabbed her things from her locker and headed out to her car. She drove straight to the Nolan apartment where she sighed in relief to see Emma's Bug parked in its usual spot, but that relief was short lived when she saw Mary Margaret's Jeep Wagoneer there as well.

Regina parked her car and headed inside and up the stairs and she barely lifted her hand to knock when Mary Margaret opened the door. It just took one look to see that she was deeply upset and Regina frowned when Mary Margaret stepped out into the hallway and shut the door behind her.

"What happened, Mary Margaret? Is Emma okay?"

"She's been suspended for fighting," she said with a deep frown. "She's never been in a fight a day in her life. I just cannot understand why she would start fighting that boy."

"She didn't tell you?"

"I know there were some slurs regarding her sexual orientation that were shouted at her by that boy, that much I heard from Mr. Gold when he called me," Mary Margaret sighed. "That boy got sent home, instructed to pay a visit to the hospital. He said he wants to press charges against Emma for assault. Regina, do you know what compelled her to punch him? You would tell me, right?" Mary Margaret asked gently. "Please? All I was told that it was a homophobic slur. Emma won't tell me. Please, Regina, I need to know."

"He called her a—a filthy dyke," Regina whispered, hating how the word felt and tasted sliding past her own lips.

"Oh my," her eyes went wide. "Regina, you should go back to school. I know that your parents, your mother especially, would frown upon you skipping class."

"I came to check on Emma," Regina said. "Is it all right if I go and see her? I'll understand if you say no, Mary Margaret."

"You may," she nodded and placed a hand on the doorknob. "Could you do me a favour? Her hand looks broken. She's had it on ice since she came home and the swelling still has not gone down. I want her to go to the hospital and get it checked out, but she keeps telling me that she's fine. You know how stubborn she can get, but perhaps you can convince her to go?"

"I'll try," Regina said with a small smile and she followed Mary Margaret inside the apartment.

"She's upstairs," she said with a nod and Regina slipped out of her jacket and placed it on the back of the chair and put her purse down on the table in front of it. "Would you like something to eat or drink, sweetie?"

"No thank you, Mary Margaret, I'm fine," Regina smiled at her and she headed up the stairs to the loft and slipped past the part in the sheets. Emma laid face down on her bed, an icepack on her hand, earbuds in and the music was cranked loud enough that Regina could just faintly hear it from where she stood. "Emma?" Regina said as she sat at the foot of the bed and tugged on the hem of her jeans. "Emma?"

"What?" Emma snapped as she lifted her head from the pillow and immediately frowned as she yanked the earbuds out. "I thought you were Mary Margaret. I'm sorry."

"How is your hand feeling?"

"Sore."

"Your mother is concerned."

"I know, she's only been nagging me all morning since I got sent home," she sighed and she sat up, moving to sit closer to Regina. She sat with her legs on either side of her. "She thinks it's broken or something," she shrugged.

"Let me see," Regina said and she gently took Emma's right hand in her own. It was bruising badly around the knuckles and she frowned as she caught Emma's wandering eyes. "Tell me if it hurts, okay?"

Emma nodded as Regina ever so gently started with her thumb, moving it around before moving on to the next finger. One by one she did the same thing and not once did Emma show any visible signs of pain. Emma suddenly grabbed on to her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and Regina smiled as she leaned over to kiss her lightly on the lips.

"It's not broken," Regina supplied even though she knew she was no doctor and there was a good chance that maybe one or two of her knuckles were broken. "But," she said and she moved to quickly kiss away Emma's pout. "Can you just please go to the hospital and get it checked out by professionals, Emma?"

"My mother put you up to this, didn't she?"

"Not entirely no, but as you recall I wanted you to get it checked out before you went to Mr. Gold's office," Regina reminded her and Emma shook her head, sliding in closer to her as she lifted her left hand and gently cupped Regina's face. "Please? I'll even drive you there."

Emma nodded and leaned in to kiss her, both of them sliding easily into a passionate kiss. Regina moaned quietly, realizing this was the first kiss they'd shared all day. She slid as close as she could to Emma in their position and deepened the kiss, keeping it rather slow. She could feel the heat spreading through her body just like it did whenever they kissed so sensually and the growingly familiar throb between her legs started pulsating achingly so.

The gentle sound of Mary Margaret clearing her throat pulled them both away with a start and Regina blushed as Emma casually wiped at the corner of her lips with her uninjured hand.

"I'll go get the hand checked out, Mary Margaret," Emma said with a small smile.

"Good, I'm glad," Mary Margaret smiled right back, her cheeks flushed pink having walked in on such an intense and passionate kiss. "Regina, are you going to back to school?"

"Not today," she replied quietly. "I'm going to drive Emma to the hospital instead."

She nodded and left and Regina groaned as Emma laughed and kissed her forehead. After one more kiss, they headed for Regina's car to make the quick ride down to the hospital and all Regina could think about was how badly she wanted Emma's hand to not be broken.

Simply because she was certain, now more than ever, that she was ready to take their relationship to the next level and soon.


	16. Chapter 16

Cora smiled as she handed Regina a glass of cider. Special occasions and holidays were the only time that her mother allowed her to drink and with it being Thanksgiving, Cora had been drinking for the better part of the afternoon while a hired cook prepared dinner in the kitchen. There was one thing that would be very different in the Mills' household that year and that was the fact that Cora had formally invited Emma and her parents for dinner.

Regina wasn't sure why she was so nervous, it wasn't as if they hadn't all spent Thanksgiving together before. Yet, it was the first one they would spend together as a couple with both their families and Regina was worried with how her mother would react, considering she had a very loose tongue once she'd had a few drinks in her. And she'd definitely already had more than a few throughout the course of the afternoon.

"Regina, dear, must you fidget?" Cora asked lightly as they sat in the study across from each other on the two sofa's while Henry stood by the fireplace, poking at the burning logs with the fire poker. "You did inform them to come around three, did you not?"

"Yes, I did, Mother."

"Are you nervous?"

"Why would I be nervous?" Regina replied evenly and she took a sip of the strong cider and inhaled sharply.

"Well, do stop with your fidgeting. It's very annoying, dear."

Regina rolled her eyes and smoothed out the hem of her short, tight deep purple dress. The neckline was plunging and while she knew she looked stunning in the dress, she was suddenly wondering if it was far too much, especially since Emma's parents were going to be there. She rose from the sofa and glanced at the clock on the mantel. Almost ten after three and Emma and her parents were late. It was doing nothing to calm her nerves and she could barely hide them from her own mother.

Regina played with the silver triangle necklace she wore and sipped the cider slowly. While she had come to the revelation that she was more than ready to take her relationship with Emma to the next level on the afternoon she'd taken Emma to the hospital, she still had yet to talk to her about it. The only upside of that hospital visit had been the good news that her hand was not broken, just badly bruised and Dr. Whale subscribed a mild painkiller for her to take to get through the next few days with minimal pain.

As she had soon found out hours after the first painkiller had been taken, Emma was very horny when she was mildly high and although it had been amusing at first, it had pushed Regina to her limits and she had to restrain herself from allowing Emma to take things further than kissing because that was most definitely not how she'd wanted their first time to go, at least not in her car with Emma giggling every couple of minutes over one thing or another, flying high on so-called _mild_ painkillers.

When Cora slipped out of the study after muttering how she needed to check on the hired cook for the umpteenth time that after noon, Regina sighed as she slumped up against the bookshelf beside the fireplace and looked at her father.

"Something troubling you, my darling?"

"Not really, Daddy."

"You can talk to me about anything, especially now that your mother is out of the room."

"I was wondering if I can have the keys to the cabin this weekend?" Regina asked, her words mumbled slightly as she raised her glass to her lips and took a sip. "I didn't want to ask Mother because she—"

"I understand," Henry said gently with a warm smile curling over his lips. "You would like to use the cabin for you and Emma?"

"Yes," she replied, feeling the burn in her cheeks. "I will understand completely if you refuse, Daddy. I just thought it wouldn't hurt to ask."

Henry smiled before he turned on his heels and walked over to the desk on the opposite side of the room. He sat down in the chair and pulled open the bottom drawer and after rifling around for a moment, he pulled out a set of old keys and placed them on top of the clutter-free desk.

"I will allow you the use of the cabin for this weekend under one condition."

"Yes?"

"We must absolutely keep it a secret from Mother," Henry grinned and as he stood up Regina placed her glass of cider on the desk and threw her arms around him. "Of course, you'll have to tell her of your plans, but I am sure you are clever enough, my darling daughter, to find a way to assure that she does not find out your true purpose of using the cabin."

Regina's cheeks flared red in embarrassment and her father chuckled and pulled her in for another hug. "Daddy, it's not—I'm not—"

"Dear," he sighed, unmoving from their embrace. "You seem to forget that I too was young once and I know that the first time should always truly be something special, something that you'll remember for, perhaps, the rest of your life."

"Daddy, I—"

"You two are young and in love and you deserve to have all the things you dream of," Henry said quietly. "And I know that one of the very things that you dream of is her. Now," he said as he backed up and smiled down at her. "Take the keys and run them on upstairs. I am sure they will be arriving any moment now."

Regina mouthed a silent thank you and swiped the old set of keys off the desk, curling them into a fist as she strode out of the study quickly. She headed up the stairs as quickly as her Prada shoes would allow her to and she placed the keys in her purse she'd left on top of her desk. She made up her mind then and there that she would surprise Emma with a weekend at the Mills' family cabin that lay just on the outskirts of town. She would have to figure out a way for Emma to convince Mary Margaret to allow her to go, the no sleepovers rule still withstanding.

She smiled as the sound of the doorbell rang throughout the house and she checked over herself in the dresser mirror before moving quickly to head down the stairs. Her breath hitched in her chest when she saw Emma and her parents being ushered inside by her drunk mother. Emma looked absolutely breathtaking all dressed up, her hair pulled up into a rather elegant bun with a few loose tendrils of hair set free and curled. She wore just a minimal amount of makeup that accentuated her features and it was the smile on her lips as their eyes met that completely took Regina's breath away.

While Cora and Mary Margaret had an awkward exchange over the casserole Mary Margaret had brought along, David and Henry greeted one another with firm handshakes and an offer to join her father in the study for some scotch. It left Regina and Emma alone suddenly in the foyer when her mother ushered Mary Margaret into the kitchen while yammering on about seeing if the cook could find a way to include the home-made casserole into their meal.

"Hey," Emma smiled as she slipped off her jacket and held it tightly with both hands.

"Hello," Regina replied with a smile as she took in the sight of Emma wearing a beautiful yet simple black dress that clung to her like a second skin. "You look positively breathtaking."

"I was about to say the same thing to you," Emma grinned and she leaned in for a too chaste kiss for Regina's liking. "I'm just going to uh, hang up my, yeah."

Regina watched her walk to the closet and hang up her jacket and she did not miss the slight shake in her hands as she did just that. Regina stood at the bottom of the stairs, drinking in the sight of Emma dressed in her best and the most surprising part was the fact she wore five inch heels, heels she she noticed Emma was slightly unsteady in as she walked towards her slowly.

"Are you nervous?" Regina asked gently as she took both of Emma's hands in her own.

"Uh, yeah," Emma easily admitted. "Aren't you?"

"Yes," Regina nodded, licking over her lips slowly. "It is rather silly to be, isn't it?"

"It's not the first time we've come over for Thanksgiving," Emma countered, almost relaying Regina's earlier thoughts. "It's just the first time since we started seeing each other."

"My mother is drunk. That should bring for an interesting dinner."

"It's like three in the afternoon!"

"As if I hadn't reminded her of that fact since she fetched out a bottle of her finest cider at eleven this morning."

They laughed for a moment before Regina let go of Emma's hands and wrapped her arms around her beautiful, flustered, nervous girlfriend. She leaned in for a kiss, a proper kiss and just for a moment thinking of it as that made her grimace because of the way Graham had always used that phrase. But it passed the moment Emma melted into her, kissing her slowly, deeply. Regina couldn't resist smoothing a palm over the supple curve of Emma's ass, grinning against her lips when she felt her jump a little.

"Dinner won't be ready for a few hours," Regina murmured against Emma's lips. "How about we steal a moment away from the disaster that will likely erupt before dinner is even plated?"

"Is that a good idea?"

"Hmm?" Regina asked, moving to take Emma's hands in her own. "I assure you my mother, in all her drunken stupor, will trap your mother into an endless conversation and our fathers are indulging in some of the finest scotch my father owns, so yes it is a very good idea, Emma. They won't even notice we're gone."

"Where are we going?"

Regina backed up to the bottom step and smiled as she tugged Emma along with her. They shared a knowing smile before hurrying up the stairs and to Regina's bedroom together as quickly and quietly as they could.

They were kissing before they even reached her bedroom door and after an awkward fumble to open it, Regina pulled Emma inside and pushed her up against the door, slamming it a little too loudly and nearly giving away the fact they had disappeared upstairs to be alone together. Careful not to ruin Emma's hair as she tugged her towards the bed, she now faced an entirely new dilemma. Making out on her bed would more than surely wrinkle their dresses and the last thing she wasn't was for any further awkwardness with her parents and Emma's as well. Emma pulled back from her lips suddenly and looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"What?"

"I didn't thoroughly think this through," Regina laughed dryly.

Emma chuckled as she wobbled slightly in her heels. "I'm pretty sure wearing these wasn't the brightest of ideas. I don't know how you walk in heels without nearly breaking your ankle."

"With practice and poise," Regina said in a voice that gravelly made her sound like her mother and she groaned, kicking off her own heels while Emma did the same. "That dress looks stunning on you, Emma."

"Mary Margaret thought it was too much," Emma shrugged and she chewed on her bottom lip as Regina just drank in the sight of her once more. "You didn't bring me up here to talk about my dress, Regina."

"Of course not."

"I'd suggest we…take them off if you're so worried about getting them all wrinkly, but," Emma breathed as she moved to whisper into her ear. "I'm not wearing anything underneath."

Arousal flared through Regina's body and she moaned as she pulled Emma in for a hungry, wanton kiss, her hands roaming freely over Emma's back and down to grasp at her ass, finding out for herself that Emma definitely was not lying about not wearing anything underneath. When her hands trailed down to the hem of Emma's short dress, she found her hands being pulled away as Emma subtly shook her head no, neither of their lips straying for more than a breath and they lost themselves in one another over and over again.

* * *

Regina sat next to Emma at the dining room table as the six of them sat in utter and complete silence. For the last ten minutes since dinner had been formally served, nobody had said a word save for the "pass the salt" or whatever it was and mutters of thank you's that followed. Hidden by the table was Emma's hand on Regina's knee, her fingers idly stroking the skin as she had skipped wearing nylons that night. Every so often, just for a second or two at a time, Emma's fingers would slip a little higher under her dress before moving back down slowly.

The teasing touches were driving her absolutely insane with need and want and she had to fight her arousal because they were in the presence of their family. It wasn't as if she could tell Emma to stop without raising some questions, likely from her own mother who was hardly picking away at her food, favouring her glass of wine over all else.

Somehow near the end of their quiet meal, their parents started talking quietly, making small talk about things that were otherwise boring for Regina and Emma. When mention of Emma's suspension was brought up, Emma looked as if she wanted a hole to open up and swallow her in that very moment, but then Cora started speaking and told them something nobody expected to hear, the least of all from her.

"I'll be happy to let you know, Emma, that the charges Graham Humbert was looking to file against you are no longer going to be a problem. I have taken the matter into my own hands."

"Mother, what did you do?"

"I merely had a little chat with the boy, that is all, Regina."

"Mother…"

"Fine," Cora sighed exasperatingly so. "I threatened the little punk."

"Dear—"

"Using hateful homophobic slurs is a crime, Henry. I merely remind him of such and warned that if he follows through with those charges formally, that he himself would find to be in a very similar predicament, only I was fully prepared to make it far worse for him."

Regina groaned as Cora beamed, simply proud of herself for interjecting and preventing Graham from pressing charges against Emma.

"Thank you," Emma smiled at Cora. "You didn't have to do anything, Cora. I could've handled it."

"Nonsense, dear. You are practically family, and family always looks out for one another, do they not?" Cora asked, smiling sweetly even though most of her words came out a bit slurred. "If everyone is quite done with their meal, I thought we could retreat to the study and indulge in some cider."

"Cora, darling, you've had plenty," Henry said quietly as he placed a hand over hers that held her wine glass. "Perhaps we can sit down for coffee or tea instead?"

"Tea sounds lovely," Mary Margaret said softly. "David?"

"None for me," he replied as he leaned back in his chair. "I wouldn't mind another scotch."

"May we be excused, Mother?" Regina asked, taking Emma's hand in her own.

"Stay for coffee or tea, dear, we've yet to have dessert," Cora replied. "Which I believe is cooling on the counter as we speak. Warm apple pie. Pumpkin as well, I believe."

Regina groaned quietly as Emma's eyes perked up at the mention of pumpkin pie. They would have to wait a little while longer before continuing where they'd left off earlier in Regina's bedroom with Regina's hands up Emma's dress, her fingers so close to touching her just before they were called down for dinner.

They all fell into silence again while their parents all disappeared into the kitchen together to make some coffee and tea. Emma's hand still laid on her knee and she lifted it suddenly and casually draped an arm around the back of Regina's chair with a smile. Emma's right hand, although still very bruised and sore, gently came to rest on her thigh.

"It's not as bad as I thought it'd be."

"Hmm?" Regina asked as she uncrossed her legs as subtly at she could manage. "What wasn't as bad as you thought it'd be?"

"This, dinner with our parents."

"Of course, save for the awkward silence and my drunken mother bringing up Graham."

"She got the charges dropped."

"Hmm," Regina hummed as Emma moved her chair a little closer to her, her hand sliding slowly up her dress and along her inner thigh. "Emma…our parents are just in the other room."

"I'm not doing anything," Emma said softly, a salacious smile curving over her lips just as she leaned in to steal a kiss and then another. "After we have dessert, we can…finish where we left off earlier."

"I believe I was the one who—"

Emma silenced her by capturing her lips with her own, her hand sliding up her thigh, inch by teasing inch. Regina core throbbed with need and she held back a moan, kissing Emma back just as deeply. Before things could get far too out of hand, Regina gently eased herself away from Emma's lips and curled a hand around her wrist to stop the slow ascent her hand was making up her inner thigh.

"After dessert, Emma," Regina purred and she deftly placed Emma's hand in her own lap with a coy smile dancing over her lips. "I am going to show you just how thankful I am to have you."

"Oh?"

"If you'll let me," Regina whispered, her heart racing, the desire almost too much to bear.

"Let you do what?"

Regina's eyes flickered over to the doorway that led to the kitchen before she leaned in closer to Emma and her hand fell on her thigh. She squeezed gently as her breath hitched in her chest and she licked over her lips slowly before whispering, "I want to taste you."

It felt so incredibly naughty to whisper those words into Emma's ear and the way that Emma shuddered and gasped at hearing them only fuelled that desire inside of her. She had never felt anything quite like that before, that driving need, and she knew it was one of many reasons why she had chosen to take the road of denial before because she had not been ready to give in to that desire, that longing.

"As much as I want you to," Emma whispered after a moment, both turning to look at one another. "And I _really_ want you to, I want to wait."

"Wait for what, Emma?"

"Until we…" Emma trailed off at the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen. "Until we are alone, Regina."

"Okay," Regina smiled, her mind swirling with a hundred different thoughts of how that weekend would go once she and Emma had found a way to go to the cabin alone together. "We will wait."

"I love you, Regina."

"I love you," she smiled and leaned in for a kiss just as their parents walked back into the dining room. Unlike other times, they didn't immediately pull away, they just simply indulged in the kiss for just a moment before parting with smiles on their faces.

Again, for what felt like the hundredth time since she and Emma got together, she was surprised in the way that she had all but taken control of the relationship, in initiating each new step they took together. She had become an entirely different person and for that she was grateful because she had never felt the happiness she felt with Emma before in her entire life.

And her happiness with Emma felt as if it were only truly beginning.


	17. Chapter 17

Regina nervously chewed her bottom lip as she waited on the street in her car for Emma. After having Thanksgiving dinner with both their parents, neither of them finding another moment to steal away alone, they had talked for hours on the phone after and Regina had revealed to her that she had acquired the keys to the family cabin for the weekend. That morning, when Emma told her parents she was going to go to the Mills' cabin for the weekend, Mary Margaret told her she would not be allowed to go with Regina alone.

That resulted in them both talking Ruby and Kathryn into coming with them, and while it wasn't the ideal plan, it still gave them time alone and away from their parents for three whole days. What Mary Margaret did not know was that Ruby and Kathryn would not be arriving until early Saturday morning and that gave her and Emma that afternoon and night all to themselves.

Her nerves were building steadily, increasing when Emma finally emerged from the building with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. Regina smiled as she popped the trunk and a moment later, Emma slid into the passenger seat and pulled her in for a longing kiss.

"Hi," Emma smiled breathlessly as she pulled apart.

"Hi," Regina smiled right back at her, swallowing her nerves as she stole one last kiss before pulling away from the curb.

While she had proposed the idea of the weekend away, she hadn't specifically told Emma of her truest intentions. Deep down, she knew she didn't need to because she knew Emma knew what this weekend, especially that very night, was all about. Regina was nervous for so many different reasons she was trying in vain not to think about, turning her focus to driving to the cabin instead.

"How long has it been?" Emma asked after almost ten minutes of silence between them. "The last time I was at the cabin?"

"It's been years."

"Do you remember the last time we were at the cabin together?" Emma asked and Regina tore her eyes from the road for a split second to see the adorable smile curl over Emma's lips. "Summer before the ninth grade, July fourth barbecue. The bonfire, the fireworks."

"Our mothers both impossibly drunk on cider."

Emma laughed. "You and I just took off after that failed attempt at setting off fireworks. We ended up at that little clearing by the creek. Do you remember?"

"How could I ever forget?" Regina chuckled with a shake of her head. "You slipped and dragged me into the creek with you."

"You were supposed to save me from falling in!" Emma laughed. "I think—I think that I almost kissed you that night, Regina."

"You did?"

"I've been thinking about it since last night. I nearly forgot about that summer. Feels like forever ago and it hasn't been, not really."

"Enlighten me," Regina said as she made the turn down the gravel road that lead to the cabin.

"When we pulled ourselves out of the creek, drenched and half covered in mud and you were so pissed at me for pulling you in. Just for like a moment I wanted to kiss you, that's all I remember. I panicked. I'm pretty sure you stormed off right then too, blaming me for ruining your clothes."

Regina smiled because it was one of very many memories they had together, even as vague as it was. Part of what made their relationship so very different, so very deep and true, were all those little memories they had together. They had been friends for most of their lives and there they were, in love with one another and embarking on an entirely new chapter of their lives. As endearing as it was, Regina knew for certain that it was one reason why she had given herself almost completely to Emma without hesitation.

The last month being with Emma made her question her reasoning to deny everything she had ever felt for her best friend, it made her question why she ever thought that denial was the easier path to take when she was completely, fully happy for once in her life. And the desire, the longing, the love she had for her had all but consumed her to the point now where all she could think about in all her waking moments and in her dreams were that of her beautiful and adorable and incredibly sexy girlfriend.

Regina pulled the car to a stop alongside the cabin and shut the engine off. She popped the trunk before the climbed out of the car together and Emma surprised her completely, capturing her lips in an intense kiss as she found herself backed up against the back end of her car. She could quite literally feel the need, the longing, the lust and desire coming off of Emma with just that kiss and it was overwhelming, pushing at her own emotions all at once.

When they withdrew from one another, they grabbed their bags from the trunk and Regina led the way to the front door of the rather quaint cabin. The lock stuck, as it always had for as long as she could remember, but with a little jiggle it opened and they stepped inside together. Everything about the cabin was a stark contrast to home, but it was cozy and quaint and still smelled strongly of cedar.

Emma dropped her bag to the floor and wrapped her arms around Regina from behind. Regina dropped her own bag and turned in Emma's arms, smiling just as their lips met in a soft kiss. Regina's nerves were reaching an all-time high now that they were there in the cabin, alone.

"It's freezing in here," Emma murmured quietly. "Maybe we should—"

"Of course. I'll just bring in the other bags," Regina replied and they both moved in opposite directions, with Emma headed over to the large fireplace and Regina back outside to her car.

She breathed out heavily, trying to shake her nerves to no avail. She grabbed the few bags of food and headed inside to find the fireplace empty and Emma nowhere to be seen. She dropped the bags on the counter in the kitchen and quirked a curious eyebrow as she went off in search of Emma. She shrugged off her coat despite the chill that hung in the air as she made her way down the long hallway to the biggest of all four bedrooms.

"Emma?" Regina called out as she strolled into the bedroom and there was no sign of her girlfriend anywhere. "Emma?"

She headed back out to the main room and laughed as Emma seemingly popped out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around her from behind. After they shared a kiss, Emma headed over to the fireplace to get the fire going and Regina retreated to the kitchen to put away the food she'd brought for the weekend. Her hands shook as she pulled out the groceries from inside the cloth bags and she had to steady herself as she inhaled sharply, willing her nerves just to go away.

She was ready, she knew she was, but that didn't stop the nerves from taking over. She'd been ready for a little while to take that next step, but they'd never had the opportunity to do just that. Now, just being alone with Emma, it made her nervous because she wasn't entirely sure if she could go through with it or if Emma was even ready to take that step with her as well. She glanced over at her girlfriend, watching her as she got the fire going and she smiled to herself. As nervous as she was, it would pass, she knew, because if there was one thing she was sure of, she could absolutely not resist the girl she'd gone and fallen in love with.

* * *

They'd been kissing for what felt like hours on the old couch in front of the fireplace and every time Regina tried to take things one step further, Emma stopped her. She was growing frustrated and her need to touch and be touched was only becoming increasingly stronger. The light was fading outside slowly and Emma moved her lips from Regina's and kissed over her neck, nipping at her skin just below her ear before dragging the flat of her tongue slowly up towards her jaw.

Regina moaned as she shifted beneath Emma, her hands slipping just under the hem of Emma's t-shirt to smooth across warm, soft skin. She turned her head to the side as Emma sucked along her neck slowly. Emma smiled as she leaned back and hovered just over her. Regina moved a hand to the back of her neck and pulled her down in for another kiss, moaning quietly as Emma's tongue slipped deep into her mouth. Regina raked her short, manicured nails up Emma's back and down again roughly, eliciting a deep moan the reverberated through both their bodies.

"Emma," Regina murmured as they parted, panting softly as they both caught their breath. "Let's go into the bedroom."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Emma smiled, kissing her softly before moving to stand up from the couch. She reached for both her hands and pulled her to her feet. "Regina, if for any reason you want to stop, just say the word and we'll stop, okay?"

"Okay."

Regina felt the butterflies take flight in her stomach as she shyly tucked her hair behind her ear and led Emma to the bedroom at the end of the hall, the only one with a queen sized bed and fresh sheets. The room was far colder than the main room in the cabin, but the heat between them was growing as their lips met in a hungry kiss. Emma grabbed her ass and lifted her with ease before lowering her down to the bed and knelt between her legs.

Her hands slipped under Emma's shirt slowly and she eased the soft material up her torso, wordlessly asking for permission to slip it off completely. Emma leaned back and pulled her shirt off, tossing it to the floor behind her. Regina smiled as she ran her hands over the smooth expanse of her toned abdomen and up over her bra-covered breasts. Slowly she sat up and wrapped an arm around Emma's waist as her lips kissed over the warm skin just below Emma's collarbone. She slipped her hand to her back and flicked the clasp of her black bra with ease.

With one glance up at Emma, who was watching her with lustful green eyes, she slipped her bra off and let it fall to the bed as her eyes drank in the sight of Emma's bare breasts. Despite her nerves that had been building all day, Regina's touch was sure as she swept her hands up Emma's sides confidently. She licked over her lips, watching as she lightly trailed her thumbs over semi-erect nipples, entranced by the sight before her very eyes. Emma's breath hitched just as she leaned forward and her tongue dipped out to lick over her warm skin.

"Regina," Emma moaned breathily. "God."

Regina fought the grin that almost slipped out as she wrapped her lips around a hardening nipple and sucked lightly, circling her tongue slowly over her tender flesh. She released it with a soft pop and quickly found herself deep in another kiss as Emma's hands tugged at the hem of her shirt, lifting it hurriedly, their lips parting just for a moment as Emma pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside. Her bra quickly followed and she pulled Emma down with her as she laid back on the bed.

The feel of skin against skin was an entirely new feeling for them both and Regina wanted so much more, she wanted to feel all of Emma against her body completely. She eased her hands in between their bodies and flicked open the button on Emma's jeans and then her own, moaning as Emma kissed her deeply, thoroughly. She slipped her hands just under the waistband of Emma's tight jeans and glided them slowly over her hips, easing her jeans down slowly until Emma broke away from her lips with a gasp.

Emma bit her bottom lip as she rose from the bed and wriggled her way out of her tight jeans, leaving her standing before Regina in only a pair of skimpy red panties. Regina slowly eased her own tight jeans down and Emma grinned as she helped her out of them. Together they shifted upwards on the bed, with Emma once again kneeling between her legs. With one hand braced against the mattress beside Regina, Emma delicately trailed her fingers over bare skin.

"You are so beautiful," Regina whispered, her hands roaming over Emma's back and up to her shoulders. "So very beautiful, Emma."

"You are gorgeous," she grinned and she kissed her softly, her lips lingering just for a moment, her hand easing its way down her abdomen and in between her thighs. "Is this okay?"

"Yes," Regina moaned quietly as Emma's fingers rubbed over her lightly, teasing her through her black lace panties. "More."

"I want to kiss you."

"Kiss me."

"Here," Emma murmured as she cupped her pussy firmly. "Can I, Regina?"

"Yes."

Emma smiled almost nervously and she planted a firm kiss on Regina's lips before making the slow descent down her body, placing hot, open-mouthed kisses along her skin, each one lingering a second or two longer than the last. Regina held her breath as Emma placed one last kiss just above her lace panties and her fingers hooked around the waist and eased them down, her eyes drinking in the sight of Regina as she lay completely nude in front of her. Regina swallowed thickly, her nerves building up once again.

Emma smiled again as she kissed along her knees, one by one, her hands sliding up her thighs to part them as she slowly licked along her inner thigh. Emma slid her right hand up her abdomen and Regina reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers as Emma's lips just lightly pressed against her cunt, lingering before pulling back. Their eyes met for a moment in a heavily intense gaze before Emma dipped her tongue out, sliding it over her folds for the first time. She moaned as Emma's tongue licked over her a second time, the touch far less tentative than the first.

She arched off the bed as Emma's tongue circled firmly over her throbbing clit and she could feel that familiar burn of desire growing and bubbling up from deep inside of her. She threaded her right hand through Emma's hair, arching into her mouth as she sucked hard on her clit. Regina was already so close that it wasn't going to take much to topple over the edge.

"Emma," she moaned as she threw her head back against the bed and clenched her eyes shut tightly at the feel of Emma's tongue dipping inside of her hole. Regina squeezed their joined hands as she cried out, her body starting to shake as the first wave of her orgasm started to flood through her. "Oh, baby!"

Emma hummed against her pussy and her hips jolted off the bed as she came hard against Emma's insistent tongue licking over her. Regina loosened her grip on Emma's hand, her whole body twitching as Emma drew out her orgasm, her tongue licking over her slowly one last time before she pulled back and licked over her lips with a hungry smile.

"Emma," Regina gasped as she watched Emma crawl up her body slowly and they let go of each other's hand just as Emma leaned down to kiss her softly. "Oh god, that felt—that was—you are amazing."

"Hmm," Emma grinned and Regina nodded, laughing softly as she gripped at Emma's hips, her fingers trailing over the edge of her red panties. "_You_ are amazing, Regina."

"Me?"

"Yes," Emma chuckled and leaned in to kiss her again, slipping her tongue past her lips. She could taste herself on Emma's tongue and she moaned quietly, her hands slipping her panties down past her hips. "I love you."

"I love you, Emma."

Emma smiled as she aided her in ridding her panties and she lowered herself between Regina's spread legs. Emma moaned quietly, rolling her hips down lightly as they both revelled in the host of new sensations between them. Regina raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling bolder and confident laying there naked with Emma and she caught her off guard as she rolled them over and straddled Emma's hips.

She leaned in to her ear and inhaled sharply. "My turn," she whispered and she felt the shiver roll through Emma as she kissed over the shell of her ear lightly.

Every press of lips to skin brought her closer to the apex of Emma's thighs and she laid down between them, her lips kissing over her inner thigh softly as she took in the sight of Emma spread before her for the first time. She reached up and their fingers intertwined and Emma simply smiled down at her, giving her hand an encouraging squeeze.

"It's okay," Emma whispered. "You can't do anything wrong. I'm already so turned on and wet."

Was she ever, as Regina could see for herself and she licked over her lips and brought her fingers to Emma's bare pussy, watching her fingers as they slid between wet folds. She licked over her lips once more before tentatively following the trail of her fingers with her tongue. With every breathy moan and sigh that fell past Emma's lips, she grew bolder, more insistent, licking and sucking and thrusting her tongue inside her hole until Emma was screaming her name.

Regina didn't move from between her legs, licking over the length of her slit languidly, loving the taste of her against her tongue. Regina moved slowly, kissing and licking her way up Emma's body until she reached her lips. They moaned as they kissed deeply and Emma wrapped a leg around Regina's hip, holding her body flush against hers.

"I don't think—no, I know I've never cum so quickly before," Emma whispered breathlessly once they parted from their kiss. "Are you sure you've never done that before?"

"No," Regina laughed. "I could say the same about you, baby."

"I want to…" Emma trailed off as a blush crept over her already flushed cheeks. "Regina, I want you to be my first."

"I—I kind of lack the equipment to do that," she said shyly.

"With your fingers," Emma murmured. "You can, with your fingers."

"Are you sure?"

"More than anything."

"I want you to…do it too."

"At the same time?" Emma asked and Regina just nodded. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she smiled and realized that Emma was just as nervous as she was, if not more. "Emma, I love you. I want this. I want you. All of you and I want to give you all of me."

"I love you too, Regina."


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Notes: In case nobody has noticed, this chapter and the last two have been updated tonight so if you haven't yet, you might want to go back and start with chapter 16 before reading this one. I just want to take a moment to thank those who have been reading and reviewing from the start. I love that you guys love this story and I appreciate every review you guys have given with all my heart. This started out as a little story, an idea I just needed to get out and in the end, it turned out to be exactly how I'd envisioned it right from the start. I do hope you enjoy the story and the little tale I've spun. Until the next one...**

* * *

Regina woke up in Emma's soft, warm arms early the next morning. She smiled despite the soreness between her legs as she thought about the night before. After they had taken things completely all the way, they showered before returning to bed and spent a few hours just kissing before they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Everything about the night before had been everything she dreamed of and more. She had never felt so loved before than in those few, tender, passionate moments they shared together. It had shattered all her disillusions when it came to love and longing and it gave her so much hope that they definitely had a future together, one that would stretch far beyond high school.

She smiled once again—or really it just grew bigger as the smile never faded—and placed her hands over Emma's arm that was slung over her middle, Emma's hand pressed firmly up against her chest between her breasts and over her heart. Regina lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles lightly before placing it back to where it was before, her heart racing a little faster as Emma rubbed over her skin gently.

"Mmm," Emma moaned as she snuggled against her back. "Is it morning already?"

"Yes," Regina said softly and she turned in Emma's arms, smiling lovingly at her as her eyes fluttered open sleepily. "Good morning."

"Morning," Emma grinned and she leaned in for a soft kiss. "Last night was incredible."

"Yes, yes it was. You are incredible."

Emma pulled Regina on top of her as they kissed slow and deep, the intensity of the kiss growing with every passing moment. Regina wanted her again, she wanted to spend all day in bed with her, making love, exploring all the new and different things they could do to each other, with each other. Just as she slipped a hand between Emma's legs, the sound of laughter trailed into the bedroom from the main room of the cabin.

Ruby and Kathryn. Regina's eyes went wide as they both looked at the very wide open bedroom door, the sound of their friends' voices growing louder, closer. In a panic, they scrambled to grab their clothes, dressing as quickly as they could manage. Emma pulled her shirt on after an attempt to find her discarded bra and she ran her fingers through her hair as Regina zipped up her jeans.

"Weren't they coming later?" Emma asked in a hushed whisper. "Regina?"

"I don't know, I just knew they were coming today. I didn't know they were coming so early!"

"Guys?" Ruby called out, the footsteps in the hallway drawing in close. "You know you left the front door unlocked?"

"We did?" Regina asked as calmly as she could manage as Ruby came to a stop in front of the open door. "Must have forgotten to lock it last night."

"Oh my god!" Ruby gasped as she looked at both of them and the mess of sheets on the bed. "You guys totally had sex last night, didn't you?"

"Ruby—"

"You're both like, glowing!"

"Ruby, come on," Emma groaned quietly.

"Kathryn!" Ruby laughed as she walked away from the bedroom and towards the main room. "Oh my god, Kathryn, they totally had sex!"

"Oh my god," Emma sighed as Regina wrapped her arms around her. "They'll never leave us alone about this all weekend, you know that, right?"

"Of course they won't," she whispered and she kissed her softly. "It's fine, Emma."

"You're right," Emma smiled, kissing her once more. "I guess we better go out there and face the music."

"They're going to want details…"

"A play by play…"

Regina rolled her eyes playfully. "And they're getting nothing."

"They're getting jack shit," Emma grinned and she kissed her once more, her hands moving to grab her ass as she deepened the kiss. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I am starving. As you recall, we skipped dinner last night."

"As I recall we both were eating something else," Emma chuckled softly and that earned her a swift slap across her ass. Emma swayed in Regina's arms, unable to stop smiling or staring at her. "We're not going to have a lot of chances to have a night like we did last night, are we?"

"Not while your mother insists on sticking to that incredulously idiotic rule of no sleepovers."

"It's a stupid rule," Emma muttered and Regina bit back her laugh. "We'll find a way to be together again, right?"

"We most definitely will, but I am not having sex with you in the back seat of your car, Emma."

"What's wrong with the back seat? We make out in the back seat all the time, babe!"

"That's different," Regina said and she kissed away the pout that slid over Emma's lips. "Come on, baby, let's go make some breakfast. I can literally hear how hungry you are," she said when she felt more than heard Emma's stomach growling. "Ready to face them?"

"Guess we have no choice, they're here. Hey, do you think it'd be totally rude if we told them to go away?" Emma asked and Regina shook her head as she slid out of their embrace and took one of Emma's hands in her own. "Come on, Regina!"

Regina marched out of the bedroom, practically dragging Emma down the hallway with her. Ruby and Kathryn were already seated at the table, both grinning at the two of them as they entered the kitchen. Regina let go of Emma's hand and they both made a grab for the bag from Granny's Ruby had brought for them.

She was grateful that neither brought up the fact they'd had sex the night before and they started talking about plans of what they were going to do over the Christmas break while they ate freshly baked pastries from the diner.

Regina was happy, happier than ever before. She was spending the weekend with her best friends and nothing made her happier than the time they shared together, just the four of them. It turned out to be one the best weekends they had all had together in a long time and by the time that Sunday had rolled around, Regina truly didn't want it to be over. She and Emma stayed after Ruby and Kathryn had left and they ended up in the bedroom one last time, making the most out of the last hour they had before they slowly packed up Regina's car and headed back into town.

Regina frowned a little as she came to a stop in front of Emma's building and she slid the car into park before leaning over to kiss her goodbye. It was meant to be a simple goodbye kiss, but it quickly escalated into more. A soft tap on the window pulled them apart and David stood at the passenger side with a smile on his face.

"I got to go," Emma whispered softly, leaning in for one last kiss. "This weekend was amazing, Regina. Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me, Emma?"

"Because it was the best weekend of my life."

"For me as well," she smiled lovingly at her. "I'll see you in the morning?"

"Bright and early," Emma chuckled and she slipped out of the car and greeted her father while Regina popped the trunk for her so she could get her bag out.

Regina watched as David insisted to carry Emma's bag inside and she watched the two of them head to the back door. Regina smiled when Emma turned around to wave goodbye and she waved right back before pulling away from the curb.

She didn't drive home and instead she drove down to the harbour and parked in her and Emma's usual spot. It was too cold to sit on the hood of her car, so she stayed behind the wheel, turned off the engine and undid her seatbelt.

So much had happened in such a small amount of time and the last three months had been full of ups and downs and everything in between. While her relationship with Graham had been a fluke, it had also got her to where she was now. She knew now why her relationships in the past had never gone anywhere, never lasted, and it was because it wasn't a guy she wanted to be with and it just wasn't any girl either. She wanted to be with Emma and she knew that the longing, the desire to be with her had been there for a lot longer than she even realized.

Regina had never planned on falling in love with her best friend, it just happened as most things do in life that are out of one's control. The struggle of coming to terms with herself, with her sexual identity came hand in hand with her feelings for Emma. It had been so much easier to live in denial before because she was convinced for the longest time that she just wasn't ready. Coming to terms with herself had set something free inside of her and she didn't look back, even when she started to feel nervous or scared or afraid or even confused all over again.

For the last six weeks they'd been together, she constantly thought back to that night where one relationship had ended and theirs had just begun without them realizing it. She thought over that very moment when she'd ran out after Emma in the rain with no shoes on, how romantic that moment was until she had told her to leave. She had moments where she wished she didn't push Emma away and thought of how things might've gone had Emma stayed that night. In the end, she knew it had been better that she hadn't stayed because she had been far too emotionally unstable with what happened between her and Graham and with her finally coming to terms with herself and her feelings for Emma Swan.

With Emma, they had overcome many small hurdles together and on their own. She was just so grateful that her parents had been so very supportive, not just of her relationship with Emma, but with the fact that she was gay as well. She was unsure of how her life, how even her and Emma's relationship would've turned out if both their parents had been anything but supportive. Being together would've been almost impossible and she knew, even if her parents or Emma's had been unsupportive, they would've found a way to be together.

Regina knew that, in the end they were meant for one another, destined to be together. Even as young as they were, she knew from the very first kiss that Emma was it for her, Emma was the One. It had been that spark she felt then and in every kiss since, the spark that made her feel as if a warmth spread through her starting within her heart and reached to her very soul. She had not a single doubt that Emma felt the same way and she had felt it the first time they'd made love just a few days ago.

Laughing at herself, she could hardly believe it had only been a few days ago that they'd taken that final step and given each other fully to one another. The pain and discomfort when Emma had first thrust three fingers inside of her had diminished within minutes. Emma had been so gentle, so patient, just as she had been with her. It was, like many things, something she never imagined happening the way it had, but in that very moment it had been nothing short of perfect.

The second time had been a hundred times better, a hundred times different and there had been no hesitation, no holding back, not even knowing that Kathryn and Ruby were just down the hallway. The third and fourth time had been similar to the second and even though nothing would be nearly as special as their first time, each time had been just as amazing as the last.

They still had some hurdles to face, that Regina knew for certain. There would always be hurdles, at least while they were still in high school and living with their parents, but she had no doubt in her mind they would get through it all together. Emma had, after all, been nothing short of patient and understanding with her, especially after that first kiss and the way she pulled her in and pushed her out at the same time.

Regina smiled as she stared out over the water, the light of the moon reflecting off the smooth and gentle waves. She was young, in love with her best friend and dreaming of the future while reflecting on the past. Every choice she'd made, even the ones that had set her back, had led her to where she was now. She knew that whatever the future held for both of them that they would make it there together.

* * *

(_Six Months Later…_)

Regina looked over the hundreds of graduation caps the formed like a sea in front of her, her eyes searching only for her girlfriend. Behind her stood her parents, beaming with proud smiles that their only daughter had not only graduated, but was at the very top of her class. The only reason she had given up the valedictorian offer was because she knew how much more it meant to Graham.

While there had been that incident between him and Emma, they had gotten over that quite fast and slowly they became friends again. What had surprised her the most was the very fact that Emma and Graham were closer than ever, watching baseball together with a few of the other guys at his place every weekend.

"Have you spotted her yet, dear?" Cora asked from behind her and Regina shook her head no with a frown. "She's out there, somewhere. I'm sure one of you will find the other soon."

"I hope so," Regina replied and she looked over at her father as he shook hands with some of the passing graduates. "I want to get out of here and get to the cabin before everyone arrives for the party tonight."

It wasn't her idea to throw a party for their entire graduating class, but rather it had been Cora Mills who not only suggested it but planned out every detail and sent out the invitations herself. Regina would've been quite content spending that night celebrating with Emma alone. Of course they would have plenty of time alone since they were hitting the road in just three days, ready to spend the summer travelling across the country together in Emma's yellow Bug.

"Regina, dear," Cora said as she pointed over her shoulder with a smile. "I think I've located your girlfriend for you."

Regina spun around and came face to face with a smiling Emma that was making her way through the crowd and they threw their arms around one another in a tight embrace. Neither held back as their lips met in a soft, chaste kiss and they pulled apart slowly with smiles on their faces. Emma pulled off her cap and shook out her hair, chuckling as Regina moved to tuck an errant strand behind her ear.

"We did it, babe."

"We did," Regina grinned. "Congratulations."

"Congratulations. I love you."

"I love you too," Regina said quietly over the din of the crowd and she pulled Emma in for another kiss, one that bordered being inappropriate for being out in public. "Shall we head out now?"

"I need to find my parents and say goodbye first," Emma replied and she took Regina's right hand in her own. "Come on, I'm not losing you in this crowd again."

"We're leaving," Regina said to her parents and after they both hugged her and Emma, she allowed Emma to lead her through the crowd until they found the Nolan's standing by a group of parents who had gathered and were looking over Mary Margaret's shoulder as she showed them the video she'd taken of the ceremony.

"Mom," Emma smiled and Mary Margaret squealed as she thrust the camera at David and rushed towards them. "We're heading out. Just wanted to come and say goodbye."

"Oh, Emma!" Mary Margaret said, her emotions getting the better of her as tears slid down her cheeks slowly. "You are coming home before you leave, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, you were going to make your casserole and send us off with enough homemade food to last a week."

"You're all grown up," Mary Margaret said and she took one look at both of them, her lower lip quivering as she tried not to cry too hard. "You've graduated and you're about to make a trip around the country with the love of your life. It's going to be a long couple of months without you two around."

"I'll call every few days, Mom."

"You called me—"

"You are my mother and well," Emma said with a nonchalant shrug, "today is a special day and all."

"I love you so very much," Mary Margaret said as she flung both of her arms around them and hugged them tight. "I love you too, Regina."

After the emotional goodbye with Mary Margaret and then a quick one with David, they headed to Emma's car together, walking through the parking lot of the high school for one last time, hand in hand with smiles on their faces and dreams of their future in their hearts and minds.

"Hey," Emma said as she pulled Regina into her once they'd reached the Bug and she wrapped her arms around Regina loosely as she cocked her head to the side. "What a day it's been, huh? Felt like it's been forever since I saw you last."

"It's been almost four hours."

"Like I said, forever," Emma smirked. "Can you believe it, babe? We're done with this part of our lives and we made a hell of a lot of memories this past year."

"A lot of _good_ memories," Regina supplied and Emma wiggled her eyebrows. "And so many more to come."

"Regina?" Emma asked softly and she licked over her lips slowly. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I love you, you know."

"I love you too, you idiot."

"I know. I kind like being your idiot. Has a nice ring to it, Emma Swan, Regina's idiot."

Regina chuckled and swatted at her shoulder since she had expected her to say something else, just what she was almost too afraid to think of. They were still young and they still had a lot of time left to grow up and take the next step in their lives.

Now, more than ever before, she knew she was going to spend the rest of her life with that adorable, beautiful idiot of hers. She knew that one day they would get married and live the rest of their lives together, happy and in love, with all the ups and downs that came with it all.

She'd only fell in love once so far in her life and planned to never again fall in love with anyone else except for her best friend, over and over again. First loves never usually became last loves or even true love, but that was exactly what they had together.

The disillusions of love and longing were a thing of the past because now she had truly seen for herself that what had always been an idea in her mind was not what love was truly about.

Love was about understanding. Love was about strength. Love was about confidence and above all else, love was life.

And boy was she ready to truly keep on living it with Emma Swan at her side.

**_The End_**


End file.
